S&S PT3: Greencough!
by Spitfire-JF
Summary: The whole of RiverClan is sick with greencough and Sundance and Smokeclaw pull together the medicine cats of every Clan to help fight it despite the Clans' hostilities toward one another—and the boundaries set by the warrior code.


**WARRIORS**

SMOKECLAW and SUNDANCE

_Cherish the simple things in life_

~ Glenn Dromgoole

**Part Three**

**ALLEGIANCES**

ThunderClan

**Leader**

Willowstar—gray-brown tabby she-cat with dark green eyes

**Deputy**

Mousefoot—longhaired dark gray-and-silver tom with green eyes

**Medicine cat**

Windfall—longhaired brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a white chest

Apprentice, Hazelpaw

**Warriors**

Firelight—ginger and white tabby she-cat with black stripes and amber eyes

Apprentice, Graypaw

Littlerock—cloudy pale gray tom with fluffy fur

Nightfall—very dark brown-and-white tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Cloudpaw

Sandblast—ginger-and-white tabby she-cat

Rabbitfoot—black tom

Ashtail—smoky gray tom with dark green eyes

Smokeclaw—black tom with dark eyes and white above each eye

Sundance—small golden she-cat with a light brown undercoat, cream fur-tips that shimmers when she moves, a white dash on her chest, and blue eyes

**Apprentices**

Graypaw—smoky gray-and-white tom with green-rimmed eyes

Hazelpaw—light brown spotted tabby she-cat with white paws

Cloudpaw—mottled blue-gray, cream, and light brown tabby-and-white tom with patchy fur

**Queens**

Meadowsong—ginger-brown tabby she-cat with a white throat, mother of Nightfall's kits: Crowkit (black-and-white tom) and Moonkit (gray tabby she-cat with light green eyes)

**Elders**

Lightfoot—light brown tom with clear eyes and dark brown legs, face, ears, and tail

Blackberry—black-and-white she-cat

ShadowClan

**Leader**

Weaselstar—ginger she-cat

**Deputy**

Hawkeye—dark brown-and-white tabby tom

**Medicine cat**

Skyspark—very dark brown tabby tom with dark eyes

**Warriors**

Foxtail-pale dappled golden tom with a white tail-tip and amber eyes

WindClan

**Leader**

Shrewstar—tabby-and-white tom with ginger and brown patches

**Deputy**

Silverfish—stony blue-gray-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes and flecked fur

**Medicine cat**

Frostbite—gray tabby she-cat

**Warriors**

Sagebrush—black tabby tom

Blackthorn—mottled black-and-ginger tom

Yellowstone—dark ginger tabby tom

Skylark—dark brown tom with white paws

Stormfeather—lean gray-and-white tabby tom with blue eyes

Grasshopper—brown-and-white tom with green eyes

Snowdrift—small pale gray-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

RiverClan

**Leader**

Ripplestar—stony gray tom

**Deputy**

Sunburst—white tom with a ginger patch on his head and a ginger spot on the back of his neck

**Medicine cat**

Milkweed—fluffy white tom with green eyes

**Warriors**

Thundercloud—tall black tom with a white chest and muzzle

**Queens**

Daybreak—small brown ticked tabby she-cat with blue eyes and a pale underbelly, mother of Thundercloud's kits: Whitekit (gray-and-white tabby she-cat) and Rosekit (white she-cat with tortoiseshell patches)

* * *

Chapter 1

_Smokeclaw snarled irritably as he sorted leaves._ He hated medicine cat work. It seemed like forever ago that he and Sundance had prevented a battle between ThunderClan and ShadowClan by sneaking into ShadowClan territory to talk to their leader, Weaselstar. The ThunderClan leader, Willowstar, had thanked them for their bravery, but she had also punished them by giving them apprentice duties. She'd done the worst possible thing to Smokeclaw in his eyes: given him as an assistant to the Clan's medicine cat, Windfall.

Smokeclaw had nothing against Windfall. The long-furred brown tabby was calm and willing, and Smokeclaw admired him for his tracking ability. If he'd been a warrior, he may have become one of the most respected warriors in the Clan. Instead, Windfall had chosen the more secretive, secluded path of Clan medicine cat.

He was a skilled medicine cat, and seemed to be a good teacher to his apprentice, Hazelpaw. But Smokeclaw was certainly glad that he had chosen to be a warrior instead. Nothing was worse to him than being a medicine cat.

_I'd rather be a kittypet or a rogue,_ Smokeclaw thought, then hesitated. Wishing for a kittypet's life over this was going a bit far. _But then, Sundance was a kittypet, and she's not so bad._

Smokeclaw hesitated as he thought of the small golden she-cat. Sundance was off cleaning the nursery, or maybe checking the elders for ticks. She had taken to Clan life quickly and easily, and had become respected despite her kittypet roots after her smooth and witty ambushes on a ShadowClan patrol that had attempted to intrude ThunderClan's territory. Smokeclaw still thought brute strength was more powerful than her strategic battle plans, but all in all, ThunderClan and ShadowClan—long enemies—were now at peace.

"No, Smokeclaw!" Hazelpaw bounded over and batted his paws away from the leaves he was sorting. "Those aren't borage, they're yarrow! You'd think after a half-moon of this you'd know better what you're doing."

Smokeclaw backed away, letting her do the work. Hazelpaw was bossy sometimes, but calm as Windfall and honest to goodness. Her light brown pelt was dappled with spotted tabby markings, and her white paws flashed as she put the leaves in their proper places.

"You're no help around here," she muttered as she worked. "Why don't you go back to your warrior duties. Hasn't it been a half-moon yet?"

"I'd like to know the same thing," Smokeclaw retorted icily. "I'm sick of wandering around here all the time."

"_We're_ sick of it, too."

Smokeclaw and Hazelpaw both swung around at the voice. Windfall stood at the storage's entrance, his tail-tip twitching in amusement as he watched them. The medicine cat trotted in to join them, flicking Smokeclaw with his tail as he passed him.

"Hazelpaw sure makes a better apprentice than you do," Windfall teased. "I wouldn't choose you as my apprentice if you _wanted_ to be a medicine cat. You're much too grumpy."

Smokeclaw's tail lashed from side to side, scattering some dock leaves over the ground. Hazelpaw hissed at him and hurried to clean it up, shouldering him aside. Smokeclaw glared at her, then replied to Windfall. "It's not my fault Willowstar made me do this. I certainly don't _want_ to be here."

"Any cat could see _that_," Hazelpaw snorted. Windfall silenced her with a look.

"Why don't you get something to eat, Smokeclaw?" he suggested, turning back to the young warrior. "Maybe it'll calm your temper. The Gathering's tonight," he added unexpectedly, his eyes gleaming. "Why don't you go and see who Willowstar's taking with her?"

Smokeclaw blinked, about to ask why, then shrugged. _Anything to get out of this den,_ he thought, and bounded out into the camp clearing. He stopped in the middle and shook himself, sending leaf dust everywhere, sneezed as the dust was disturbed from his pelt, and inhaled the fresh air deeply. He'd hated the herb storage, but not only because it was the medicine cat's den. The leaf and root smells had made him sneeze.

"Well," came a teasing voice. "How's the Clan's newest medicine cat?"

Smokeclaw spun, ready to defend himself, but relaxed when he saw Sundance. "Oh, it's you," he meowed indifferently, shrugging. "I'm all right, I guess. What are you up to?"

"I'm on break right now," Sundance replied. "Ashtail and I were just gathering moss so I can clear the elders' den. Do you want to join me for something to eat?"

Smokeclaw nodded agreement and followed her to the fresh-kill pile. "What do you feel like eating?" he asked as he looked at the pile. "There's just about everything to choose from. Prey's been plentiful, even so close to leaf-bare."

"If it keeps up, it'll be an easy leaf-bare," Sundance agreed. "Whatever you want to eat is fine with me."

Smokeclaw chose a rabbit that would satisfy both cats' hunger and they made their way to the tree stump, where the apprentices usually ate. The other two warrior apprentices, Graypaw and Cloudpaw, were already there, feasting.

Sundance curled her lip as she settled beside Cloudpaw. "Is that a woodpecker?" she asked.

Cloudpaw looked up at her, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes," he replied in his usual quiet voice.

"I've never tasted woodpecker before," Sundance meowed. "I always expected it to be tough and stringy."

"He caught it himself, not long ago," Graypaw told her. His green-rimmed eyes were proud as he looked at his brother. "Nightfall was really proud of him, and even Firelight said she'd never seen such an impressive catch."

"Hey, so you got on the sunny side of old Nightfall, huh?" Sundance teased, nudging the patchy-furred apprentice teasingly. "Good for you."

"It was a really impressive catch," Graypaw repeated.

"He's not so bad," Cloudpaw murmured, probably talking about his mentor, Nightfall.

"Sure he's not," Smokeclaw meowed, glancing upward. "He's the most encouraging cat in the Clan." He swallowed his bite of rabbit. "Are you going to have any of this, Sundance, or shall I eat it all?"

Sundance dipped her head obediently to take a bite. Cloudpaw sat up and nudged a piece of woodpecker toward her. "You said you'd never had any before," he meowed. "Have a bite?"

Sundance purred. "Thanks, Cloudpaw." She accepted the woodpecker and chewed it thoughtfully before shaking her head in mock disgust. "Just like I expected," she meowed. "Tough and stringy."

Cloudpaw purred. "Maybe, but it's a delicacy. They're really hard to catch."

"You'll end up the best hunter in the Clan if you keep on," Sundance told him, before crouching back down by Smokeclaw to share his rabbit.

Smokeclaw finished his share and narrowed his eyes at Graypaw, who was still crouched over his half-eaten prey. "Is it going to take you all day to eat that mouse, Graypaw? You don't need to take your time."

Graypaw shook himself as if Smokeclaw had awakened him from a deep trance. He purred in reply to the warrior's words. "No, I'm nearly done, Smokeclaw." He finished the mouse in ravenous gulps and then got to his paws. "Firelight was going to take me battle training, Cloudpaw. Do you know what Nightfall's got planned for you?"

Cloudpaw shook his head. "I'll find him and ask him," he offered, springing to his paws. "Maybe we can go with you."

The two apprentices bounded off and Smokeclaw and Sundance were left alone. Smokeclaw rasped his tongue over his black fur, eyes closed, enjoying the rhythmic feeling. Sundance finished the last of the rabbit and buried the bones, then sat beside him and lapped at her own pelt. Both washed themselves in comfortable silence. Smokeclaw, dreading going back to the medicine den, took his time in washing. Sundance seemed in no hurry, either.

When they were both pleased with the perfection of their appearances, Smokeclaw stood. "I was going to find out who Willowstar's taking to the Gathering tonight," he meowed. "Would you like to come?"

"No, I'd better get started on the elders' den," Sundance replied. "I've taken long enough here. I'll see you later, though."

Smokeclaw nodded. "All right. See you later." He watched her go, then hurried toward the warriors' den. No doubt his brother, Ashtail, would know who Willowstar was taking to the upcoming Gathering.

* * *

Sundance never minded good, honest work, especially effortless, thoughtless labor such as clearing a den. She wasn't too unhappy with listening to the elders' bickering, either. She'd always found listening to conversation to be quite entertaining, and didn't mind joining in once in awhile.

ThunderClan's elders were particularly amusing. They were mates and the parents of the Clan's current deputy, Mousefoot. Both had served their Clans long and well, and were well-respected in their current duty: arguing, lying in the sun, and telling tales to kits and apprentices of the early days of the Clan.

Sundance particularly enjoyed listening to their stories because when one was telling, the other would be breaking in with comments and arguments, which would lead off to something more deep and random, and yet lighthearted. Sundance took pleasure from those conversations.

Lightfoot was telling one of those stories now.

"It was a cold full moon early in leaf-bare. ThunderClan's leader was away on a mission, so their deputy, Springpelt, was leading the Clan. She had good warriors helping her, but there were whispers of trouble. A pack of foxes had made their dens beneath the roots of a Great Oak at Fourtrees. To make matters worse, the foxes were stealing prey. Usually foxes lived on their own, or with a pawful of skittish cubs, but these foxes seemed to have their own Clan, with patrols to keep the cats out and make raids for food.

"All the Clans were forced to meet that Gathering night at Sunningrocks. All four Clans needed to deal with the foxes, so Springpelt had an idea…"

Lightfoot was interrupted by Blackberry. "That's not true," the old black-and-white she-cat protested. "It wasn't Springpelt's idea at all. The idea actually came from a young cat named Elmfall."

Lightfoot glared at his mate. "According to the story, it was _Springpelt's_ idea," he reminded her.

"The story is _wrong_ according to _history_," Blackberry meowed stubbornly. "I happen to know from a very reliable source that it was indeed the young warrior _Elmfall_ who had this idea."

"I've never heard of any cat named Elmfall," Lightfoot snorted. "You're making it up."

"I'm not! Ask Windfall. He's a direct descendant from Elmfall himself. Got his name from him."

"Cats don't inherit names!"

"Then how do you explain Mousefoot and Rabbitfoot having yours?"

"Coincidence. You trained Sandblast, and she hasn't got a name anywhere near yours."

Sundance listened with mild amusement as the two old cats argued. However, as they were still debating the topic—now gone from Elmfall to their ex-apprentices to Meadowsong's new kits—she finished her chore and slipped out, letting them continue their quarrel in peace.

Smokeclaw bounded over to her just as she was coming out, with Ashtail behind him. "Guess what, Sundance!" the black warrior called as he approached.

Sundance leaped back as he skidded to a stop, throwing dust all over her. "Hey!" she protested. "You know I just washed!"

"Sorry." Smokeclaw didn't look very sorry to her. "But guess what?"

"What?"

"_Guess_!"

"Well…" Sundance stopped to consider. Smokeclaw looked very excited indeed, and Ashtail's dark green eyes were gleaming. Plus her friend had mentioned earlier that he was going to see who Willowstar was taking to the Gathering. "Willowstar's chosen you two to go to the Gathering tonight, hasn't she?"

Ashtail nodded, his claws scraping the ground in anticipation. "She sure has! Isn't that exciting? I mean, I've been to a Gathering before, but it's always so interesting! You know what, though, Sundance? She said you're going to go, too!"

Sundance blinked in astonishment. "Me? The kittypet warrior? Go to a _Gathering_?"

Smokeclaw frowned uncertainly. "But…you _do_ want to go, don't you?"

Sundance purred and her tail shot up, curling over her back. "I want to go more than _anything_!" _Wait, that's not true. There's something I want more._

The two toms broke out in happy purrs. "Great!" Ashtail meowed. "I've been as a warrior a few times before. I can show you around when we get there." Without letting her say anything, he turned, flicking his tail toward the gorse tunnel. "We gather over there when Willowstar calls us."

Sundance could hardly contain her excitement. _A Gathering! Me, the kittypet warrior! Willowstar wants _me_ to go to the Gathering!_

Her tail thudded to the ground suddenly, catching the brothers' attention. "Wait, what about our punishment?" she asked. "Ashtail, did you hear anything about that?" She, like every other cat in the Clan, knew about Ashtail's tendency to know about everything going on in the Clan.

Ashtail shook his head. "No, but it _has_ been half a moon," he pointed out. "Technically your punishment is supposed to be over. Besides, you led us into one battle against ShadowClan, and then _broke the warrior code_ to prevent another one. I'm sure Willowstar is trying to pay you back."

Smokeclaw flinched when his brother mentioned breaking the code. To get his mind off what had been her idea in the first place—and which he had not been expected to follow into—Sundance shrugged and meowed, "Yeah, but she paid us back by shortening our punishment."

Smokeclaw snorted. "A good thing, too. I wouldn't have been able to stand going for another half-moon in that medicine den."

"What are you three doing?" Mousefoot interrupted their conversation, padding over to join them. "Standing around idling when there's work to be done?" His eyes gleamed teasingly.

Sundance dipped her head and was about to reply, but remembered her apprentice status and bit her tongue. Smokeclaw apparently caught himself just in time as well. Ashtail's ears flicked back in a motion of respect. "Sorry, Mousefoot," he meowed. "We were just talking about the Gathering tonight, that's all."

"Oh?" Mousefoot attained a look of interest. "What about it?"

"We're excited to go!" Ashtail couldn't help blurting out. Sundance cast him an annoyed look. He could probably get more information out of Mousefoot if he didn't give the whole truth.

Mousefoot cocked his head slightly. "What makes you think you're going?"

"I heard—"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, Ashtail," Mousefoot interrupted gently.

Smokeclaw's head jerked up, disappointment flashing through his eyes. "Does that mean we're not going?"

Mousefoot looked at the young warrior thoughtfully. "I never said that."

"Does that mean we _are_?" Ashtail asked, excitement back in full thrust.

Sundance barely managed to stifle a sigh. Mousefoot caught it and his gaze met hers with a glimmer of understanding. "Just wait until Willowstar calls, okay? Until then, you may as well make yourselves useful. Ashtail, your brother—I mean Rabbitfoot, naturally—is taking out a patrol soon. Why don't you join him? Smokeclaw, you may as well go along with them and look for herbs for Windfall."

Smokeclaw made no attempt to conceal his sigh, but he didn't argue. Sundance watched him follow Ashtail toward the warriors' den; when they were gone she couldn't help but give a quiet purr of amusement.

Mousefoot seemed to agree. "He's not a medicine cat," he meowed. "I overheard Hazelpaw telling her brothers how hopeless he is in the den."

Sundance nodded. "He does hate it," she consented. "Willowstar chose our punishments wisely."

"Perhaps." Mousefoot turned toward her, looking her full in the face. "You don't seem to be very unhappy about your punishment, Sundance. Do you regret what you did?"

Sundance considered this very carefully before responding. "No," she meowed finally, and Mousefoot widened his eyes in interest. "I mean, I don't regret avoiding that war," Sundance explained. "It was just the right thing to do."

"But you knew it was against the code," Mousefoot pointed out, sitting and curling his tail neatly around his paws. "Why did you disobey the code just to prove a point?"

"I wasn't proving a point!" Sundance protested. She stopped at the expression on the deputy's face. "Okay, maybe I was. But I just don't understand why the Clans solve everything by fighting. Doesn't it make more sense to preserve lives by just talking things out?"

"Sometimes it's more complicated than that."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

Mousefoot nodded slowly. "But you didn't really answer my question. Why did you disobey the code, apparently so readily? You know, some cats would consider that a weakness—a weakness tracing back to your kittypet roots."

"So? That's their problem." Sundance sat down and lifted her chin. "I just knew that talking to ShadowClan was the right thing to do, whether Willowstar or the code approved of it or not. And if I hadn't, I'd have had to live with the regret forever. It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong."

Mousefoot kept looking at her, straight into her eyes. Sundance felt somewhat unnerved at first, but then she relaxed and met his gaze. The deputy blinked, cutting off his thoughtful stare, and looked at her approvingly. "You're a good cat, Sundance. I'm beginning to think that that first day you ran into Smokeclaw was a very lucky day for ThunderClan. A lucky day, indeed."

He stood and flicked his tail at her. "Littlerock's going hunting. You might do well to go with him."

He padded away. Sundance watched him go, wondering exactly what he thought was so special about her. Then she shrugged and stood up to look for Littlerock. She wasn't very excited to hunt with the outspoken tom, and Mousefoot's words hadn't implied a command, but she could do with a little hunting.

Chapter 2

_Smokeclaw followed his brothers along the ShadowClan _border. There had been no sign of any excitement all around the territory. He sighed mentally, wishing something would happen. So little action couldn't possibly be good for him. How was he supposed to grow as a hero if nothing ever happened?

_Maybe going with Sundance to ShadowClan was a bad idea, _he thought. _Maybe letting her go in the first place was a bad idea._

_Don't be mousebrained,_ he immediately reprimanded himself. _You know how stubborn she is. You couldn't have stopped her if you had the whole Clan at your back. She'd have found a way to fight out and go anyway._

He couldn't help but admire her for that. She had gone, even though she'd known that Willowstar disapproved, the code forbade, and the odds laughed in her face. She had tossed all those points over her shoulder and taken the whole of ShadowClan head-on. _For StarClan's sake,_ Smokeclaw thought, awed, _she went right into ShadowClan territory _alone_!_

_But so would I,_ a small voice in his head insisted. _I would have gone alone. There is no way a former kittypet is braver than I am. I fought a dog by myself! I'm ThunderClan's hero!_

It didn't help.

"Hey, Smokeclaw!"

Smokeclaw sighed at Ashtail's call. His brother had been talking almost nonstop. _That's enough to scare off any trespassers,_ Smokeclaw thought dryly. He suppressed a sigh as he faced his brother. "What?"

"Check this out?" Ashtail meowed, flicking his tail to wave him over. "Isn't this an herb?"

Smokeclaw ambled halfheartedly over to him and looked at the plant. It looked like any typical berry bush to him. "I don't know," he replied, annoyed. "I'm no medicine cat."

"You've been helping Windfall for half a moon," Ashtail pointed out as Rabbitfoot padded over to join them. "Haven't you picked anything up by now?"

Smokeclaw glared at his brother with an exasperation that was not part of his usual energy. "Sure. I've picked up that warriors are pathetic," he snapped. "Littlerock got a thorn in his paw a couple days ago, and it was all Hazelpaw could do to make him stop whimpering and complaining."

Rabbitfoot blinked. "Calm down, Smokeclaw. Ashtail's just trying to help." He nodded at the bush. "Why don't you take a few berries, just in case?"

"I don't know how to carry berries!" Smokeclaw snapped in frustration. "They're too small to carry them the same way as prey or moss."

Ashtail bounded over to a nearby tree. "There's a lot of fat leaves under here, freshly fallen not long ago," he called over his shoulder. "If you rolled up some berries in one of them, it should be easier to carry back."

Rabbitfoot turned his back on Smokeclaw. "Good thinking, Ashtail," he meowed warmly.

Smokeclaw flinched at his brother's desertion, but he supposed he deserved it. He wandered over to the tree and picked out a few wide, fresh leaves while his brothers scouted around for signs of anything unusual. _This isn't my job_! Smokeclaw thought angrily. _I should be looking out for danger and fighting off intruders, not harvesting berries_!

Grumpily, he carried the leaves to the berry bush and reached up with his paw, shaking the branches carefully. The bright red berries dropped to the ground. Smokeclaw rolled them onto the leaves with his paw, then wrapped up the bundles and picked it up in his teeth.

Rabbitfoot and Ashtail returned, and Rabbitfoot flicked his tail. "Okay, let's go." He led the way back toward camp.

It was a lot more difficult carrying the bundle of berries back to camp than Smokeclaw had expected, and certainly more uncomfortable than carrying prey—and a _lot_ less triumphant upon return. Instead of walking right into camp with his head high, showing off his camp, he slunk through the shadows, keeping his head down, slipping right into the medicine den before any cat could see what he was carrying.

Windfall was just emerging from the store when he entered the den. "Oh, Smokeclaw. Are those herbs?" The medicine cat padded over to inspect his bundle; Hazelpaw slipped out of her den behind him and came to stand at her mentor's shoulder, ready to criticize Smokeclaw's achievement.

Windfall inspected the leaves. "Those aren't herbs," he meowed, sounding disappointed. Hazelpaw looked triumphant.

Smokeclaw dropped the bundle. "That's because—" he began, but he never had time to finish.

Windfall sprang backwards with a cry of alarm, making Hazelpaw squeak in fear. The medicine cat swept up the berries hurriedly with his long, plumy tail, wrapped them back up in the leaves, and glared at Smokeclaw. "These aren't herbs!" Windfall meowed, his voice squeaking like a kit's. "They're deathberries!"

Smokeclaw gasped and Hazelpaw looked horrified. "I'm sorry!" Smokeclaw meowed. "I didn't know."

"Didn't _know_?" Windfall paced forward with such a purposeful stride that Smokeclaw was forced to take a step back. "Didn't your mentor teach you _anything_? I specifically ordered all the warriors to make sure their apprentices knew about deathberries!"

Hazelpaw, recovered from the episode, glared accusingly at Smokeclaw. "Throw him out, Windfall," she chided her mentor. "He's done nothing this past half-moon but cause trouble, and now he could have killed some cat!"

"Hey!" Smokeclaw snapped at her. "You were both here, and there's no way I'd put something in the store without showing you. I don't know one herb from another, and I'd much rather _not_ be stuck in this dusty old place all day, thank you very much! I don't care if Willowstar's punishing me, and I don't care what she does to me now. _I'm not helping you anymore_!"

He spun around angrily and crashed right into Willowstar. The gray-brown tabby eyed her warrior. Smokeclaw, in his anger, almost forgot to dip his head respectfully to the Clan leader. He glanced at her, ears flat, hoping she wouldn't extend the punishment to a full moon.

But Willowstar's whiskers were twitching. "I must say," she meowed. "You certainly have a temper on you."

"They accused me of trying to kill some cat!" Smokeclaw protested. He pointed at the deathberries, which Windfall and Hazelpaw were hastily rushing away. "I didn't know those were deathberries! I was just trying—"

"I know," Willowstar interrupted, flicking her tail across his mouth. "Did you swallow any?"

Smokeclaw shook his head, and she flicked her tail away. "Good." Her dark green eyes were shining with amusement. "And here I was just coming in to tell you that your punishment is over. Rabbitfoot told me you were back when he gave me his report."

Smokeclaw's shoulders slumped in relief. _The punishment's over! I don't have to work in here anymore! And Sundance isn't an apprentice any longer! We can go hunting!_

Willowstar was still talking. "You should probably find Sundance and tell her the good news. And after that, I suggest you get some rest. You'll need all your energy for the Gathering tonight."

Smokeclaw's ears pricked. _The Gathering! I forgot about that_! He was so excited he could hardly dip his head obediently to the Clan leader. "Yes, Willowstar." He tried to contain his excitement and walk calmly out of the den, but it wasn't working, so as soon as he was mostly out of sight, he sprang forward.

He hurried right for the elders' den and poked his head inside. "Hello? he meowed. "Is Sundance here?"

Blackberry lifted her head, blinking wearily. "Smokeclaw? Is that you?"

Smokeclaw flattened his ears apologetically. "I'm sorry, Blackberry, I didn't know you were sleeping."

"That's all right." The old she-cat sat up and stretched slowly. "I was going to join Lightfoot anyway. He's out sunbathing near the fresh-kill pile." She let out a long yawn, then asked, "Were you looking for Sundance?"

"Yes. Have you seen her?"

"She's probably gone to the nursery to clean it out," Blackberry told him. The old she-cat padded toward him on stiff paws. "Unless Mousefoot's heard otherwise. You might ask him if he's not busy. As deputy, you'd think he'd know where every cat is." Her voice held pride for her only son. Through quiet energy and devotion, Mousefoot had achieved what his father Lightfoot's eager ambition never had.

"Oh, yeah!" Smokeclaw's eyes lit up as he remembered. "Mousefoot was still talking to Sundance when my brothers and I left for our patrol. He must know where she is!" He turned and raced out of the den and went in search of the ThunderClan deputy.

* * *

Sundance and Littlerock didn't speak as they padded through the forest, and before long Littlerock slipped away in pursuit of a squirrel. Sundance stood still, feeling the warmth on her pelt and scenting the air carefully for prey. She knew that Littlerock might not like her very much, and he was a _very_ good hunter.

_Well, I'm not so bad myself,_ Sundance thought determinedly. _I'll just have to beat him. Maybe _that_ will show him._

_Just what am I trying to show him? What am I trying to prove_?

Littlerock returned with the squirrel in his jaws. He dropped it and cast Sundance a look as if to say, "Beat that." Sundance inclined her head to the older warrior and turned away from him, still scenting. She could smell mouse on the breeze.

_Mouse. That's smaller than Littlerock's squirrel, but maybe there'll be a den._ Sundance padded after the scent, her tail-tip twitching slightly. She pinpointed the mouse under a fern and fell into the hunter's crouch, which had always come very naturally to her. She pulled herself forward swiftly and silently, so softly the mouse couldn't even feel her pawsteps through the ground. She lunged and snatched it up in her teeth, killing it with a swift bite before it could let out a cry.

Triumphantly Sundance carried the mouse back to Littlerock, but he was already gone. She could see where he had buried his squirrel under a tree; Sundance quickly dug it up and put the mouse with it. She then lifted her head as a woodpecker's rhythmic beating caught her attention.

_A little tree-hunting will do me good,_ Sundance thought, heading for the tree that the woodpecker was beating on. _And I've never caught a woodpecker before. It'll keep me sharp._

She climbed carefully and quietly, not wanting to startle the bird. But the woodpecker was too busy hammering on the tree to notice her. Sundance stalked along the branch and quite fairly plucked it off, killing it with no trouble at all.

_Not exactly the challenge I was hoping for,_ Sundance thought, a bit disappointed. She carried the bird down and buried it with the mouse and the squirrel. A grouse had joined the pile as well; apparently Littlerock had been doing some tree-hunting of his own.

The two cats seemed quite fairly matched. Sundance managed to catch a shrew and two voles, while Littlerock returned with a rabbit, a shrew, and another squirrel. Then, to top it off and prove that she was just as good as the cloudy warrior, Sundance caught a rabbit herself in what she thought was quite an impressive display of speed and precision. Littlerock then captured a mouse, and they decided it was time to go back to camp.

It had been quite a short—and rather silent—hunting trip. It seemed to Sundance that Littlerock was only outspoken when _not_ hunting for his Clan. Both cats returned to camp equally impressed with the other, but unwilling to say it. Sundance appreciated Littlerock's strong and courageous catches, while Littlerock was just as approving of the small she-cat's quickness and precision.

"I guess we'd better get back," Littlerock meowed after catching his final mouse.

Sundance agreed with a nod. "I'm going to need to rest," she told the older warrior. "Willowstar chose me to go to the Gathering tonight."

Littlerock looked at her with narrowed, interested eyes. "Really? Interesting. I suppose your punishment is over, then?"

Sundance shrugged. "I don't know. She hasn't said anything to me, but it has been half a moon." She dug under another tree to collect a bit more of their prey. It was hard to talk around it, but she managed. "Maybe there just aren't enough warriors."

"Graypaw and Cloudpaw should be getting their warrior names soon," Littlerock meowed, nodding and making his mouthful of mice and shrews bounce at the end of their tails. "And Meadowsong's kits will be apprentices soon."

"I haven't been in the Clans for very long," Sundance meowed, "but when I went to ShadowClan they seemed bigger than ThunderClan. Is it normal for a Clan to have so few young cats?"

Littlerock shook his head sadly. "When Sandblast and I had our kits, Smokeclaw and his brothers were almost apprentices. It's been a long time since the Clan was as big as it's supposed to be." He spat out his mouthful of prey, spluttering. "Fur on my tongue," he explained.

Sundance nodded in understanding, and Littlerock sat down with a sigh. "I think things might change for the better, though," he meowed without collecting his prey again. "Sandblast gave me some good news before we left today."

Sundance dropped her own prey and cleaned the fur off her tongue. "What was that?"

"She's going to the nursery soon. She's expecting another litter of kits."

Sundance looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Congratulations! But…you don't seem too excited."

Littlerock shrugged. "Just surprised, I guess. I never expected to have more kits after Graypaw, Hazelpaw, and Cloudpaw. They were pretty easy to take care of, but Nightfall's kits aren't like that." He looked thoughtful. "What are the chances of Sandblast and I having another litter like the first one?"

Sundance shrugged. "I don't know. I always thought all kits were like Nightfall's. I think it's pretty unusual that your first litter was so easy."

Littlerock glanced at the ground and shuffled his paws uneasily. "I'm kind of nervous," he admitted. "I don't really know how to take care of kits. Sandblast didn't really need help the first time. What am I supposed to do?"

"Just talk to Nightfall," Sundance suggested. "I'm sure he'll help. Besides, your kits won't be so terrible, I'm sure. Crowkit and Moonkit aren't that bad."

Littlerock looked at her and nodded. "Thanks, Sundance. We'd better get back to camp."

It took a lot of effort to carry so much prey back to camp by themselves. As soon as she walked into camp, Sundance was almost bowled over by Smokeclaw, who was racing toward her in excitement.

"Slow down!" Sundance meowed after losing all her prey due to her friend's attack. "Look what you did, Smokeclaw! What are you so excited about?"

Smokeclaw glanced at the prey strewn about the ground. "Sorry about that," he meowed. "But Willowstar said our punishments are over! We're warriors again!"

Sundance purred. "That's great! Now help me pick up this prey before some cat walks all over it. It took effort to catch that."

Smokeclaw looked at her disbelievingly. "Really? It took effort for _you_ to catch prey?" He was very aware of the ease with which Sundance hunted.

Sundance flicked her tail. "Oh, just help me." But her eyes were glimmering.

The two cats transported the prey to the fresh-kill pile, then Smokeclaw led the way to the warriors' den, explaining all the way what had happened early on. At first he was too embarrassed to talk about how he'd not known what deathberries looked like, but Sundance never accused him of anything, and she made him feel good. Sundance in turn told Smokeclaw of Sandblast's expecting kits, and the black warrior expressed his joy in hearing the news.

The two cats washed themselves before lying down in their nests. They both felt good about sleeping in the warriors' den after being forced to live with the apprentices for half a moon. Sundance, however, hadn't thought it was so bad. She liked Graypaw and Cloudpaw, and they occasionally got into some stimulating conversations.

Sundance curled up in her nest, wondering what the Gathering would be like. Would the other cats taunt her about her kittypet origins? Would they try to convince her that she wasn't good enough to be a warrior? _Let them try,_ she thought determinedly. _There's no way they can convince me that I can't be a warrior. I'll show them all._

Chapter 3

_Smokeclaw's claws itched with an excitement he _hadn't felt for a long time. He stared down into Fourtrees at the cats below, drawing in the scent of WindClan. Sundance was a calm, silent presence beside him, and Smokeclaw wondered if she was excited at all to be attending the Gathering.

Smokeclaw wanted so badly to rush down into the clearing, but he held himself back, waiting for Willowstar's command. He glanced around at the edges of Fourtrees, wondering if ShadowClan and RiverClan were crouching in the bushes, ready to leap down to join WindClan.

Finally Willowstar stood and flicked her tail at her Clanmates. Smokeclaw leaped forward with Sundance at his side, and together they charged down the slope. WindClan warriors turned at the noise and padded forward to greet ThunderClan as they arrived. Smokeclaw slowed as he neared the bottom of the slope, and stopped altogether as the rest of his Clanmates went on to greet WindClan.

Sundance stopped beside him, breathless and wide-eyed with excitement. "What do we do now?" she asked.

Smokeclaw glanced at her; this was to be her first time at a Gathering. "We talk," he meowed. "We share tongues with the other Clans—but don't give away any of our secrets," he warned.

"What secrets?" Sundance cocked her head. "About Meadowsong's kits?"

"Of course not," Smokeclaw replied. He didn't want to tell her which secrets she shouldn't share, especially with WindClan around.

Mousefoot appeared beside them, his long, flowing gray-and-silver pelt almost invisible in the moonlight. "Perhaps you simply shouldn't say anything," he meowed in his usual soft voice, his green eyes bright as he looked at Sundance. "That shouldn't be difficult."

Sundance dipped her head with a purr of agreement, then nodded to Smokeclaw. "Lead the way," she meowed.

Mousefoot melted into the crowd and Smokeclaw looked around, wondering which way to go. He spotted Firelight; beckoning Sundance with his tail, he made his way over to her. Sundance followed silently, taking Mousefoot's words to heart.

Firelight was sitting with a WindClan queen. "The weather has been getting colder," the queen fretted. "It's going to be a hard leaf-bare, especially for kits."

Firelight nodded agreement. "We've always managed to get through leaf-bare," she reassured her. "This time will be no different, no matter how hard it is." The senior warrior glanced at Smokeclaw and Sundance and twitched her whiskers in greeting.

The WindClan she-cat ignored Smokeclaw and Sundance's presence completely. Smokeclaw listened to a bit of their conversation before becoming bored and flicking his tail at Sundance. Sundance was sitting calmly, politely listening to Firelight and the queen's conversation with pricked ears, but she stood and followed Smokeclaw when he gestured at her.

"There's a few warriors," Smokeclaw suggested, flicking his tail to where three cats crouched to the side, watching their Clanmates mix with the ThunderClan cats. "Let's go say hello."

Sundance nodded her agreement and followed him over to the three cats. Smokeclaw stopped near them and inclined his head. "Greetings," he meowed, and then realized that it probably sounded a bit more guarded than he'd intended.

The three WindClan warriors—two toms and a she-cat, all young—looked up at them. One of them, a brown-and-white tom, sat up and purred a return greeting, his green eyes friendly. "Hello. How are you?"

"Fine, thanks." Smokeclaw and Sundance took a seat beside them. Sundance slipped to Smokeclaw's other side. It was clear to Smokeclaw that she was choosing to sit beside the WindClan she-cat rather than the toms. "I'm Smokeclaw, and this is Sundance."

"I'm Grasshopper," the brown-and-white tom purred back. "This is Stormfeather and his sister Snowdrift."

Each of the other WindClan cats meowed a hello. Smokeclaw could see the resemblance between them. Stormfeather was a lean gray-and-white tabby tom with blue eyes; Snowdrift was paler, but had identical tabby markings and blue eyes.

"How does the prey run in ThunderClan?" Stormfeather asked. His voice was calm, and his eyes betrayed kindness and a wisdom beyond his age. His muscles were supple and strong, and it was obvious that he was an apt fighter.

"Well, thank you," Smokeclaw replied courteously.

"I haven't seen you around," Snowdrift meowed to Sundance. "How long have you been a warrior?"

"A few moons," Sundance replied. "I wasn't born in ThunderClan."

"Ah, ThunderClan's kittypet warrior!" Grasshopper pricked his ears, his green eyes gleaming with interest. "We've heard about you."

"The word on you is that Willowstar has taken quite an interest in you, even giving you authority in battle patrols," Stormfeather meowed, also looking interested.

Sundance met his gaze. "Is that the only word on me?"

"Only one I care about."

Sundance looked thoughtfully at him for a moment, her eyes clouded, then dipped her head respectfully. "That is true. I did lead a battle patrol against ShadowClan when they invaded our territory." She glanced at her Clanmate. "Smokeclaw led one as well."

"How interesting!" Snowdrift looked impressed. "What kind of tactics did you use to fight against ShadowClan?"

Sundance opened her mouth, but was unable to reply before a yowl came from the other side of the clearing. Grasshopper's head swung around and he announced, "ShadowClan's arrived!"

Smokeclaw's pelt prickled slightly as ShadowClan flooded into the clearing. It hadn't been quite long enough since his last encounter with the Clan on the other side of the Thunderpath. But Sundance didn't look nervous at all, watching the warriors alertly, but with no sign of apprehension.

"Skyspark!" Grasshopper called.

A dark tabby veered away from his Clanmates and padded over to the little group, his dark eyes bright and cheerful. "What's going on?" he asked. He looked at Sundance. "Who's this?"

Sundance didn't allow any other cat to speak for her this time. "I'm Sundance," she meowed, standing and dipping her head to him respectfully.

"Skyspark," the dark tom replied, "ShadowClan medicine cat."

"Charmed," Sundance meowed.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied with a dip of his head.

"Hey Skyspark, where's Foxtail?" Stormfeather asked.

Skyspark glanced over his shoulder, whiskers twitching. "Just coming." He pointed his nose toward a dappled golden tom who was making his way through the crowd. Turning back, Skyspark meowed, "I'm afraid I can't hang around. I'm supposed to talk to the other medicine cats. You understand."

"Of course," Stormfeather meowed, nodding. Smokeclaw wondered if he was always so noble-looking.

"I'll see you later, Skyspark," Grasshopper meowed, eyes dancing playfully.

Skyspark purred a reply. "You can bet on it." He turned and bounded away, disappearing into the crowd within moments.

"How do you know Skyspark?" Sundance asked Grasshopper curiously.

"We've known each other for a long time," the WindClan cat replied. "We've been friends for as long as I can remember. And even though he's a medicine cat and I'm a warrior, we're still really close."

Sundance murmured something under her breath, her blue eyes shining, but Smoekclaw couldn't tell what she said.

The dappled golden warrior that Skyspark had pointed out finally reached them, and sat beside Snowdrift, on the opposite side from Sundance. "What'd I miss?" he asked with a sigh as he settled down.

Stormfeather's whiskers twitched, and Smokeclaw saw a gleam of playfulness in his eyes for the first time all night. "Not much," the WindClan warrior replied. "We were just welcoming Sundance to the Clans."

Foxtail looked Sundance up and down with a guarded expression in his narrowed eyes. After a long moment, he meowed, "You're the kittypet warrior that came into our camp last moon, aren't you?"

Sundance dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Yes I am."

Foxtail was silent for a long time; then he grunted and turned away. Smokeclaw could see a flash of admiration in his amber eyes and knew the ShadowClan cat was trying to hide it. It made Smokeclaw glow with pride, and he puffed out his chest a little. _It looks like Sundance has already earned the respect of some Clan cats,_ he thought. _Even though she hasn't been here very long, she's certainly made a name for herself._

* * *

Sundance was pleased that she seemed to have earned Foxtail's respect. The ShadowClan cat appeared judging on the outside, but she could tell that underneath that guarded exterior was a willing, easygoing warrior who was loyal to his Clan. She respected any warrior who was truly loyal to his friends and Clanmates.

Stormfeather had caught Sundance's attention more than any of the other cats she'd met so far. The WindClan warrior was lean and small, as all the WindClan cats appeared to be, but his muscles rippled under his pelt, and by the look of his shoulders and legs, he was very fast. Stormfeather's blue eyes were calm, easygoing, and kind, but his courteous appearance hid the playfulness that Sundance could tell he possessed. There was something about the WindClan cat that intrigued her. She felt as if she'd known him all her life, and yet she knew nothing about him. She felt as if she'd known him all her life, and yet she knew nothing about. His aura radiated wisdom and honesty like she had never felt before, and Sundance felt as though she could read everything she needed to know about him just by looking into his eyes.

_I should like to know him better,_ Sundance decided.

Snowdrift, Stormfeather's sister, was even smaller than the other WindClan cats, but her presence was one of excitement. Sundance could see that she was kind and loyal, like her brother, but Snowdrift made no attempt to rein in her energy. Sundance could tell that she and Snowdrift could become very good friends, given the chance.

Grasshopper, too, was energetic and playful, but also cheerful and easygoing. Sundance felt right at home among these three WindClan cats. And Grasshopper's friend, Skyspark, the ShadowClan medicine cat, was also cheerful and friendly, though Sundance had seen something like quiet ambition in his dark eyes.

Foxtail had turned away, leaving the small group without anything to say. In order to fill the silence, Smokeclaw faced Grasshopper. "Do you have any littermates, Grasshopper?" he asked politely.

Grasshopper nodded. "Two brothers, Yellowstone and Skylark," he replied. His eyes gleamed with pride. "Shrewstar is our father."

Sundance followed his pointing tail to where a tabby-and-white tom, his fur patched with ginger and brown, was speaking with Willowstar and Weaselstar. Sundance could see the friendly gleam in the WindClan leader's eyes, an expression that matched Grasshopper's.

"Stormfeather and I have two other brothers as well," Snowdrift told Sundance. "Their names are Sagebrush and Blackthorn."

"Silverfish, our deputy, is their mother," Grasshopper meowed.

Sundance could see the WindClan deputy through the crowd. She was sitting at the foot of the Great Rock, near the leaders, her ears pricked toward their conversation. Silverfish was a blue-gray-and-white tabby with stony, flecked fur and blue eyes that matched Stormfeather and Snowdrift's.

"What about you, Foxtail?" Sundance asked. "Do you have any littermates?"

Foxtail grunted, but didn't have the time to reply. Weaselstar bounded onto the Great Rock and gave a yowl.

The mews died down as every cat turned to look upward. Weaselstar stood at the point of the rock and gazed downward, her ginger pelt turned silver-red in the moonlight. "The Gathering must begin," she announced.

Willowstar and Shrewstar leaped up beside her. A WindClan warrior called out, "But we can't! RiverClan hasn't arrived yet!"

Weaselstar's tail-tip twitched. "We've wasted enough moonlight," she meowed. "We haven't the time to wait for RiverClan."

"Weaselstar is right," Shrewstar announced. "It's not our fault RiverClan is late. We must start without them."

Sundance glanced at the cats around her. Foxtail had slipped into the crowd; she could spot him making his way toward his own Clanmates. Grasshopper had gone to sit up front with Skyspark. Smokeclaw nudged Sundance and jerked his head to where Ashtail and Graypaw were sitting, but Snowdrift touched her tail-tip to Sundance's shoulder, inviting her to stay. Sundance sat down beside the small WindClan she-cat, and Smokeclaw shrugged, then took a seat beside her. Stormfeather crouched on his sister's other side, his gaze fixed intently on the leader.

Shrewstar began. "WindClan has been doing well. We have three new warriors: Stormfeather, Grasshopper, and Snowdrift."

Sundance butted her head into Snowdrift's shoulder, and the young she-cat purred back, her eyes gleaming with pride. Stormfeather accepted the cheers of the other cats with a simple dip of his head.

_Honest, and humble as well._ Sundance was thoroughly interested in the WindClan tom now. _I have a feeling we could become good friends. And I very much want to know him better._

Shrewstar finished his report without saying anything surprising or unexpected. Weaselstar stepped up next. "Our old medicine cat has retired to the elders' den," she announced. "Skyspark has taken her place as full medicine cat of ShadowClan."

Sundance called out Skyspark's name and spotted Grasshopper poking his friend excitedly with his paw. Skyspark was obviously trying to appear dignified, but couldn't help but swipe playfully at Grasshopper's ears.

Sundance wondered if Weaselstar would mention the arrangement she and Willowstar had made about bringing their problems to Gatherings. However, the ShadowClan leader said nothing about it. Sundance understood; there was no reason to tell the other Clans about this settlement. It was what Gatherings had always been intended for anyway.

"The marshes on our territory have been running a little low on prey lately," Weaselstar did admit. "Our elders and kits have been fed, but the warriors and apprentices have not had as much food as they should. And since leaf-bare is coming soon, I hate to think of what may become of my Clan."

Some of the ShadowClan warriors below hissed and muttered under their breath, obviously not pleased that their leader had given away this weakness. Sundance glanced at Foxtail and Skyspark; she noticed for the first time that she could see their ribs showing just barely under their pelts. She expected to see anger on Foxtail's face, but he merely gazed up at Weaselstar with a guarded expression in his eyes.

_He trusts Weaselstar's decision,_ Sundance realized, feeling a newfound respect for the ShadowClan warrior. _He may seem tough and ambitious on the outside, but he's really loyal to his Clan and wouldn't betray his leader._

Shrewstar stepped forward. "Prey is running well on the moors," he offered. "If you want, you can hunt in Highstones. Our warriors will not challenge you there."

Willowstar lifted her head. "There isn't much prey in the mountains. At least, we aren't trained to catch them. If I had the right, Weaselstar, I would offer the river to you for hunting grounds. But that call belongs to Ripplestar alone." She dipped her head to the ShadowClan leader. "I'm afraid our Clan needs our territory to support ourselves."

Weaselstar inclined her head gratefully to her fellow leaders. "Thank you," she meowed. "All of ShadowClan is indebted to you both. We will hunt in Highstones, and search the furthest reaches of our territory for prey."

Sundance saw Foxtail's eyes narrow at this statement; not surprisingly to her, he was not pleased with being indebted to any cat. The WindClan warriors were murmuring to each other, but Stormfeather and Snowdrift stayed silent. Sundance saw Stormfeather nod slowly, his eyes closed; he approved of Shrewstar's decision to give up Highstones to ShadowClan. Snowdrift made no move at all; Sundance wondered if she didn't consider herself in the place to judge her leader's choice. Sundance's respect for each WindClan warrior deepened.

Willowstar moved forward. "As you have probably heard by now," she announced, "ThunderClan have accepted a young kittypet into our ranks as a warrior. Sundance has proven herself a valuable asset to our Clan." She nodded down at Sundance.

Sundance's pelt prickled as the gazes of WindClan and ShadowClan turned on her. Most of the ShadowClan cats knew about her already, but WindClan's gazes were curious and judging. Sundance glanced sideways at Smokeclaw. He was sitting straight beside her, his dark eyes gleaming with defiance, as if he were challenging any cat to speak up against her.

Snowdrift touched her nose to Sundance's shoulder, and Sundance was instantly grateful for her friendship. Stormfeather wasn't looking at her, but Sundance could feel his eyes on her all the same. Grasshopper stretched up above the other cats and waved a paw at her; Sundance gave him a tiny nod, thankful for his support as well.

Before Willowstar could say anything else, a yowl came from one side of the clearing. Sundance turned to see a tall black cat standing at the top of the slope that led to RiverClan territory. The black cat's white chest was heaving and his jaws were open as he gasped for air.

"Thundercloud." Stormfeather's breath stirred Sundance's ear fur; she started slightly, having not heard him come around behind her. Sundance glanced at the WindClan warrior and saw concern in his eyes. Snowdrift was on her paws as well, the fur standing up along her spine. They obviously knew the RiverClan warrior.

Foxtail made his way through the crowd to Thundercloud's side, but before he could get near him the RiverClan cat leaped to the side. "No, Foxtail!" he gasped. "Stay back!"

Foxtail stopped in his tracks, his amber eyes glimmering with anxiety. "What's the matter?"

Sundance saw friendship pass between the two warriors. Then Thundercloud lifted his head and raised his voice for all the cats to hear. "RiverClan has been stricken by a bout of greencough!" he declared. "All of our warriors are sick, and even the apprentices have been touched by it. I'm the only cat left that's healthy enough to hunt for the Clan."

Chapter 4

_Smokeclaw's tail shot up. "Greencough!" he meowed. _"That's a horrible sickness. Very contagious."

"Is it fatal?" Sundance asked.

"It can be," Stormfeather replied, his voice rumbling. The fur around his neck was spiked. Snowdrift's tail was flicking from side to side, her blue eyes wide.

"We have to help them!" Sundance meowed.

Stormfeather turned toward her, his blue eyes interested. Snowdrift paced back and forth. Smokeclaw looked at Sundance like she was crazy. "How?" he asked. "We don't want to risk catching greencough! It could spread to ThunderClan as well!"

Sundance scraped her claws against the ground and didn't reply. Thundercloud had disappeared back into the forest as soon as his announcement had been made. The cats left in the clearing were milling around and murmuring to each other, casting glances toward RiverClan territory. Foxtail remained where he was, staring after Thundercloud.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing while RiverClan die in their nests," Sundance meowed finally. "What if they need more herbs? Who is the RiverClan medicine cat?"

"Milkweed," meowed Stormfeather.

"Okay." Sundance stood and paced with Snowdrift, obviously trying to get her brain working. Smokeclaw watched her warily, wondering if another one of her plans was coming into place.

He should never have expected otherwise. Sundance stopped after a moment and fixed them all with a light in her blue eyes. "If it's possible this sickness can spread to the other Clans, then it's all the Clans' problem, right?"

"I suppose so," Snowdrift meowed. She had stopped pacing as well and was looking expectantly at Sundance.

"Well then all the Clans should get together to help!" Sundance declared. "And besides, Thundercloud said he was the only warrior left that was able to hunt for the Clan, and did you see how exhausted he looked? He can't possibly feed all those sick cats by himself."

Smokeclaw frowned. "But we can hardly give RiverClan our prey," he pointed out. "We know ShadowClan doesn't have much prey left. Weaselstar just got done asking for more."

"We don't have to give them prey from _our_ territories," Sundance meowed as Grasshopper and Skyspark padded up to join them. "RiverClan's territory is full of prey. And besides, we wouldn't have to hunt for them for very long if we got the herbs they needed."

"Ah!" Stormfeather's eyes gleamed as he caught on. "We should get the medicine cats from all four Clans together to help!"

Sundance nodded. "Do you think they'd be willing?"

"The medicine cats are bound by a code that's different than the warrior code," Snowdrift meowed. "There are no boundaries between medicine cats. If we spoke to them, I'm sure we could convince them to help."

Sundance's eyes shone. "Brilliant! I know Windfall would be willing to help if we asked him!" She glanced mischievously at Smokeclaw. "Maybe _you_ should ask him, Smokeclaw. You know him better than I do."

Smokeclaw growled deep in his throat, not wanting to be reminded of his past half-moon in the medicine den. But Grasshopper didn't give him the chance to reply. He and Skyspark had obviously figured out what was happening. "Frostbite _might_ help, if we all talk to her together. She's one of the most skilled healers in the forest. RiverClan could _really_ use her."

Sundance turned to Skyspark. "What about you?" she asked. "Would you be willing to help RiverClan?"

Skyspark's eyes gleamed. "Just show me to the camp," he declared.

* * *

Sundance went straight to Windfall's den as soon as they returned to camp. The long-furred tabby was circling in his nest, ready to settle down for the night. He glanced up and gave a nod of greeting when she came in. "Sundance. What are you doing here so late? Are you feeling all right?"

Sundance dipped her head respectfully to him. "Yes, I'm fine, Windfall," she replied. "I came to ask you for a favor."

"Name it." Windfall sat down in his nest.

Sundance lifted her head and met his gaze. She saw no reason for pleasantries, and thus got right to the point. "I want to help RiverClan," she told him.

"And how do you expect to do that?" he inquired curiously.

"I thought we could get the medicine cats from all the Clans together," Sundance replied boldly. "And RiverClan will need some cat to hunt for them. I spoke to some warriors from WindClan and ShadowClan, and they agreed to help."

Windfall was silent for a moment. Sundance held her breath as he thought. Finally he meowed, "That is a bold idea. Have you gotten either of the other medicine cats to pledge their assistance?"

Sundance dipped her head. "Yes, Windfall. Skyspark of ShadowClan gave his word."

Windfall's whiskers twitched. "Skyspark is young. He may have made a promise he can't keep. Weaselstar may not allow him to come to RiverClan's aid."

Sundance met his gaze unflinchingly. "The medicine cats are bound by a code that is different from that of the warriors," she meowed. "A medicine cat is outside of his leader's authority when it comes to matters of healing."

Windfall nodded, his amber eyes gleaming with respect. "Good answer, young one. I will speak to Willowstar. And what of WindClan? Did Frostbite promise to help as well?"

"A few WindClan warriors said they would speak to her. I trust them." An image of Stormfeather lingered briefly in her mind, but she ignored it. Sundance wasn't going to tell Windfall just how much she trusted her new WindClan friends.

Windfall nodded in agreement. "From what Thundercloud said, we could use Frostbite's skill. Hazelpaw will remain here to look after the camp."

Sundance inclined her head gratefully to him. "Thank you, Windfall. If you could, it would be helpful if you could speak to Willowstar now. Smokeclaw and I arranged to meet the others at Fourtrees at dawn."

Windfall's whiskers twitched. "That doesn't give us much time to collect our supplies. But we can work around that. Very well, I will talk to Willowstar."

He stood and made his way toward her. Windfall stopped beside her on his way out of the den. "You can be very proud of yourself, Sundance. Not many warriors would cross boundaries to help another Clan, especially at the risk of their own health. The stars were shining brightly on ThunderClan the day you came to us."

Chapter 5

_Windfall, Sundance, Smokeclaw, and Graypaw traveled back _to Fourtrees the next morning. Willowstar had given her consent and good wishes after discussing the idea with Mousefoot late last night. Though all four cats had been at the Gathering the night before, they had offered their services to RiverClan in whatever way they could. Firelight had not been unhappy to lose her apprentice to the cause; she had been at the Gathering as well, and understood why Graypaw wanted to help.

Smokeclaw was only going because he was convinced he couldn't allow Sundance out of his sight, lest she got into more trouble. Not that he didn't want to help, but he was concerned about catching greencough.

_ThunderClan can't afford to catch greencough so close to leaf-bare, especially since the Clan has so few warriors,_ he thought. _I'd better make sure Sundance and Graypaw don't get near any RiverClan cats._

Stormfeather, Grasshopper, and Snowdrift were already there with their medicine cat, Frostbite. Frostbite was a gray tabby with an arrogant look about her. She greeted Windfall with a nod of her head, which Windfall returned politely.

Sundance bounded forward to greet the WindClan warriors warmly. "I'm glad you could make it!" she purred, nodding to Stormfeather and Grasshopper and touching noses with Snowdrift. Smokeclaw followed more slowly, surprised at how quickly she and Snowdrift had become friends.

"Have you heard anything from Skyspark?" Sundance asked Grasshopper.

"He promised he'd be here," the young WindClan warrior replied. "Skyspark may be a bit late sometimes, but he wouldn't break a promise like that."

Sundance shot a knowing glance at Windfall, who shrugged indifferently, his whiskers twitching. Smokeclaw wondered what they had said when she had gone in to see him last night.

Stormfeather's ears pricked and he looked up. "They're here," he announced.

Smokeclaw turned to see Skyspark making his way into the clearing. To his surprise, Foxtail was right behind the dark tabby. "Weaselstar didn't let me have any more warriors," Skyspark explained, bounding up to them. "ShadowClan is too busy hunting to feed itself."

Sundance stepped forward to greet the ShadowClan warriors as warmly as she had greeted WindClan. "It's good to see you both," she purred. She looked around the group, her blue eyes shining. "We'll be able to do so much for RiverClan, even with so few of us. They've got to be pleased to see us."

Foxtail's claws were kneading the ground eagerly. "Let's go," he meowed with no trace of the previous night's hostility. "We shouldn't be wasting time."

Windfall faced Sundance. "This was your idea, Sundance," he meowed. "You should lead."

Sundance blinked at him. "But I don't know the way."

Stormfeather stepped forward. "I do. Follow me."

Smokeclaw watched as the cats began flooding out of the clearing in pursuit of the WindClan warrior. Stormfeather certainly appeared to know exactly where he was going, his step confident. Sundance and Graypaw fell in beside Snowdrift, who was up front with her brother, and Windfall and Frostbite padded side-by-side, leaving Smokeclaw on his own. Skyspark and Grasshopper were murmuring together as they walked, their eyes gleaming, and Smokeclaw decided he didn't really want to know what they were talking about. Having no choice, he reluctantly padded up beside Foxtail.

The ShadowClan warrior glanced at him, but didn't protest his presence. They were silent for a long while before Smokeclaw attempted conversation. "So how did you earn your warrior's name?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Foxtail looked at him, and Smokeclaw felt like he was sizing him up as they walked. "Fought off snakes that invaded the territory," he replied. His amber eyes narrowed, but not hostilely. "How about you?"

"Fighting a dog," Smokeclaw replied. He was tempted to brag on the fight, but Foxtail was staying humble, so he would too.

They fell silent again. This time it was Foxtail who started the conversation again. He flicked his muzzle at Sundance. "How did you come by her?"

Smokeclaw knew he was asking how Sundance had come to joining ThunderClan, so he began telling him the story. He didn't want to tell the ShadowClan warrior how hard he'd had to fight when Sundance had turned on him the first day. He hardly needed to; Foxtail gave an impressed _mrrow_ when he heard how she'd attacked Smokeclaw, then again when Smokeclaw told him how she'd led a patrol successfully when ShadowClan had invaded.

"I remember that," the golden warrior meowed, nodding. "We were freaked! I had no idea where the attacks were coming from, or where they'd be next. That was an impressive tactic." Foxtail twitched his whiskers and looked admiringly at the young she-cat, who was purring at something Graypaw had said. "She seems to know her stuff, for such a young and inexperienced warrior."

Smokeclaw nodded agreement. "ThunderClan is certainly lucky to have her."

Foxtail glanced sideways at him with an odd look in his eyes, and Smokeclaw's ears got hot. _What did I say_?

Stormfeather stopped suddenly and hissed a warning over his shoulder. "RiverClan!"

Smokeclaw crouched instinctively; he felt Foxtail's fur brush his as the golden tom did the same. Smokeclaw sensed the other cats dropping to the ground and pressing close together, closing their ranks and facing outward with their backs to each other. He peered into the reeds, but it was hard to see anything around the broad stalks.

He felt Foxtail stand up beside him. Smokeclaw hissed at him, trying to tell him to stay low. Foxtail ignored him and scented the air, then stepped out of the ranks and glanced over his shoulder at his companions. "It's all right," he meowed. "It's Thundercloud."

The reeds rustled and the black-and-white RiverClan warrior stepped out into the open. His yellow eyes shone with surprise. "Foxtail?" he meowed. "What are you doing here?" He looked past his friend at the group of cats crouched behind him. "And who are all these cats?"

Smokeclaw stayed low, but some of the others stood. Sundance padded forward and dipped her head graciously to Thundercloud. "I'm Sundance of ThunderClan," she meowed. "We've come to help."

* * *

Sundance could see the surprise in Thundercloud's eyes, even though the RiverClan cat tried to blink it back. "What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.

"Thundercloud." Stormfeather stepped forward. "We know your Clan is suffering. You told us last night that you were the only healthy warrior left. Milkweed must be exhausted, not to mention yourself. We've come to help you nurse RiverClan back to health."

Sundance stepped to the side and Windfall, Frostbite, and Skyspark padded forward. Skyspark dipped his head to Thundercloud. "We've come with fresh supplies," he meowed, nodding at the bundles of herbs Frostbite and Windfall carried. "And there are enough warriors to find you food to feed your Clan."

Thundercloud blinked. "That's very generous of you," he meowed; Sundance could see the relief in his eyes. "Milkweed and I could sure use your help. Come with me; I'll take you to the camp."

Sundance exchanged a glance with Stormfeather; she knew that Thundercloud wouldn't be able to refuse their help. She had seen last night that he was a smart and loyal warrior—he knew how much his Clan needed assistance. She followed Thundercloud as he weaved through the reeds, skirted a willow grove, and padded across a stream.

Thundercloud stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "It's through here," he meowed, jerking his muzzle toward a hole in the bulrushes. "I think the medicine cats had better be the only ones to enter the camp. I'll bring you to Milkweed; the rest of you stay here." Windfall, Frostbite, and Skyspark slipped out of the group and followed the black-and-white warrior into the camp.

Foxtail stepped forward, his amber eyes fixed on Sundance. "We should split into hunting patrols," he meowed.

Sundance could detect a glimmer of a challenge in his eyes. Did he think she was in control just because it had been her idea?

She nodded. "I agree. Could you organize them, Foxtail? I haven't been with the Clans very long. You'd be better at it than me."

Foxtail's eyes flashed with something like respect, but he turned away before she could really see it. He weaved among the cats, his white tail-tip twitching as he thought. "Thundercloud will know the best places to hunt. He's the only cat who knows how to fish here. Are any of us willing to learn?"

Stormfeather, Graypaw, and Sundance all stepped forward at the same time. Foxtail's ear twitched. "RiverClan is most accustomed to water prey," he acknowledged. "Thundercloud can take you to the river to teach you how. The rest of us will split up into pairs. Snowdrift, you come with me; Smokeclaw, Grasshopper, you'll be the other patrol."

Grasshopper padded over to Smokeclaw, and Sundance had to choke back a purr of amusement at the expression on her friend's face. It was obvious that Smokeclaw wasn't fond of the idea of having to hunt with the cheerful WindClan warrior. _He'll just have to cope,_ she thought. _Maybe it'll teach him to be more friendly._

Thundercloud squeezed out of the bulrush tunnel; his head was down and his tail brushed the ground. Immediately Sundance sensed something was wrong; she hurried to his side. "What's the matter?"

Thundercloud lifted his head. His eyes were dark with sorrow. "We've lost an apprentice," he sighed, and shook his head wearily. "My Clan is dying before my eyes."

Foxtail bounded forward and touched his muzzle sympathetically to his friend's shoulder. "We're here to help," he promised. "We've split into patrols. Do you have enough strength left to show Stormfeather, Sundance, and Graypaw how to fish?"

Thundercloud's eyes brightened with determination. "My Clan needs me more than ever now. They need as much prey as they can get, or we'll lose even more cats." He swept his gaze over his patrol. "Are you ready?"

Stormfeather met his gaze, and Sundance could see Thundercloud's determination mirrored in them, only stronger due to energy and better health. "Just show us to the river."

Thundercloud nodded to the WindClan warrior, then faced Foxtail again. "What are the other patrols?"

"Snowdrift and I are one, and Grasshopper and Smokeclaw are the other."

Thundercloud looked the four warriors up and down, as if judging their abilities. "Snowdrift, you could probably do well in the reeds, since you're so small. You and Foxtail follow the camp wall opposite the river; there's a marsh on the other side where Foxtail's skills will come in handy. Smokeclaw and Grasshopper, go towards the Twoleg bridge and follow it along the gorge. There's a meadow near the Twoleg farm with some hedges, where both of you should find hunting enjoyable. The rest of you come with me. We have a river full of fish just waiting to be caught.

Chapter 6

_Smokeclaw and Grasshopper bounded back the way _they had come, pacing themselves so they would have plenty of energy left to hunt. Smokeclaw was glad that Grasshopper hadn't attempted to make conversation yet. He was hoping to get this over with; he wasn't keen on spending a lot of time with the WindClan warrior—his cheerfulness bothered Smokeclaw. _No cat should be that happy._

By the time they made it to the bridge, Smokeclaw's paws were beginning to hurt. He hadn't expected the reeds to be so painful to walk on. He was used to soft pine needles and moss underpaw, not this. He hoped the meadow would be easier on him.

Grasshopper led the way along the gorge. Smokeclaw stopped and peered over the edge as the roaring of the falls filled his ears. His jaw dropped open slightly, and he backed away from the edge, suddenly aware of the consequences if he fell in.

Grasshopper had noticed his hesitance and returned to his side. "It's something, isn't it?" he asked, following Smokeclaw's gaze. He had been to the gorge before; it was the border between RiverClan and WindClan territory, though Smokeclaw didn't expect there was much prey so close to the edge.

Smokeclaw nodded. "Has any cat fallen in before?" _Mouse-brain!_ he immediately snapped mentally at himself. _Of course cats have fallen in!_ "I mean, have any cats come out alive?"

Grasshopper shrugged. "You'll have to ask Thundercloud. WindClan warriors don't spend much time down here. The rabbits prefer to stay away from the gorge."

"Maybe rabbits aren't as mouse-brained as I thought." Smokeclaw suppressed a shudder as he imagined the swirling black water closing over his head and shutting him off from the fresh air—and life itself. "Let's keep going."

Grasshopper pointed with his muzzle. "I think I see the meadow Thundercloud told us about."

Smokeclaw followed his gaze and saw an expanse of tall golden grass in the distance. He followed the WindClan warrior—warily keeping away from the edge of the gorge—and scented the air as he went along, checking for any sign of prey.

He scented the mouse almost immediately after reaching the meadow, and slipped away from Grasshopper in pursuit. It was strange stalking his prey with no bushes or trees to help conceal him, and his tail-tip brushed against the grass, making it rustle. Smokeclaw froze as the mouse glanced up, then sprang after it as it shot for safety.

Smokeclaw crashed through the grass in pursuit of the fleeing mouse, cursing himself in his mind as he realized how much noise he was making. He leaped clear of the grass and came down on top of the mouse, which squealed and squirmed under his paws. Smokeclaw quickly nipped the back of its neck, snapping its spine.

He picked up his prey and padded back to where he'd left Grasshopper, but the WindClan warrior was gone; Smokeclaw smelled the faint scent of shrike and knew that Grasshopper had probably gone after it. Smokeclaw left the meadow and buried the mouse where the ground was a bit softer, near the river above the falls.

Smokeclaw turned toward the meadow and flexed his shoulders. _One RiverClan cat will live because of that mouse,_ he thought proudly. _Sundance was right about this!_ He caught the scent of crow on the breeze, unsheathed his claws, and bounded back into the meadow.

* * *

"_Keep your claws stretched out as far_ as they can go," Thundercloud instructed. "You have to hook the fish the first time. There are no second chances."

Sundance's claws ached. Stormfeather batted at her paw with his own. "You look like your paw's going spastic," he purred in amusement, his eyes glimmering.

Sundance purred back. "I'm going to hurt from this!" she groaned.

Graypaw was staring down at the water. Suddenly his paw flashed out and a silver fish flew into the air and landed on the bank. He pounced on it and held it, wriggling, under his paws, but suddenly looked uncertain. "Where do I bite it?" he asked anxiously.

Thundercloud leaped to his aid. "Behind the head, like any other prey." He ducked his head and snapped at the fish, and it fell limp. The RiverClan warrior looked at Graypaw, impressed. "That was very well done, Graypaw! You caught on as fast as any RiverClan apprentice," he praised him.

Graypaw ducked his head, looking embarrassed. "Thanks," he mumbled. He looked up, eyes glittering. "Shall I bury this?"

Thundercloud shook his head. "No need. Fish can't smell. Just lay it on the bank, and we'll start a pile."

As Graypaw followed his instructions, Thundercloud turned to Stormfeather and Sundance. "You two had better get started, or we'll never catch enough for the Clan, even with Graypaw's quick learning."

Sundance dipped her head, and Stormfeather growled playfully without saying anything. Both warriors turned toward the river; Sundance fixed her eyes on the water, trying to figure out what was a fish and what was just the sunlight reflected off the surface. It wasn't long before movement caught her eye, and she was sure it was a fish. She lashed out a paw, claws outstretched, and flicked the slimy body out of the water. However, her strike was lopsided, and the fish flopped back into the river without touching the bank.

Sundance frowned at Thundercloud. "I guess my aim's off."

Thundercloud didn't look up from the water. "It takes practice." He flipped out a trout the length of her tail and pounced on it, then added it to Graypaw's earlier catch.

Sundance shook her head. _Not helping,_ she thought, but it was good-natured. She turned back toward the water and peered into the shallows, paw at the ready. She felt _right_, like she was meant to be here, helping RiverClan get back to health. She hoped the apprentice was the only cat they lost through this greencough epidemic. She had been able to smell the strength of the sickness from outside the camp.

_StarClan, be with those cats,_ she thought as she flicked a fish out of the water, pleased when it landed on the bank. Pouncing on it and biting the fish behind the gills, she added, _and the medicine cats too._

They met up with the others at the camp entrance. It had been a very successful trip; Thundercloud's patrol had caught eleven fish between them, Foxtail and Snowdrift had collected a rabbit and three sparrows, and Smokeclaw and Grasshopper returned with a shrike, a crow, and five mice. Thundercloud's eyes glowed when he saw the catch.

"This is more than I could have caught in a quarter-moon by myself!" he purred. "Thank you so much for your help! I'll bring this to the medicine cats to distribute."

Graypaw lifted his head. "I'll help you." When the RiverClan warrior looked uncertain and was about to refuse, he added, "You're already tired out from hunting so much the past moon. It'll take fewer trips with two of us."

Thundercloud glanced at Smokeclaw and Sundance; obviously he assumed that Graypaw was under their authority in his mentor's absence. Sundance met his gaze evenly and Smokeclaw shrugged wordlessly.

"Very well." Thundercloud nodded and picked up several fish by the tails. "Come along then."

Graypaw grabbed all five mice and followed the black warrior into the camp, the prey swinging against his chest as he walked.

Grasshopper was admiring the rabbit. "That's quite a catch!" he purred. "Whose is it?"

Snowdrift flicked her tail at the golden tom beside her. "Foxtail's."

Grasshopper turned to the ShadowClan warrior. "I didn't think there would be many rabbits in RiverClan territory. How did you manage to chase this one down in the middle of a marsh?"

Foxtail ducked his head, his amber eyes glowing with pride. "It was stuck. It wasn't used to the ground being so sticky. I think it must have wandered into the marsh by mistake."

"It was an excellent catch!" Snowdrift praised him. She turned to face Grasshopper. "You should have seen him leap! He could have rivaled a ThunderClan warrior."

Stormfeather growled playfully. "Careful, or we may have a contest on our paws," he warned, glancing at Sundance and Smokeclaw, his blue eyes dancing.

Smoekclaw unsheathed his claws and kneaded the ground. "Any time," he meowed. Sundance was pleased to see the warm light of a friendly challenge in his dark eyes. She had expected Smokeclaw to take much longer to get used to these cats.

_I suppose if you get such an excellent group of warriors together as this, it's easy for them all to respect one another,_ she thought. _And in the Clans, respect is the first step towards friendship._

Chapter 7

"_Foxtail! Wake up!" A paw prodded his _side.

Foxtail groaned and rolled over, batting at the paw with his eyes closed. "Go away." He curled up into a tighter ball and wrapped his tail over his nose.

Unfortunately the paw didn't seem to get his point. It prodded him again. "Come on, Foxtail! It's time for patrol."

Foxtail opened one eye a slit. Graypaw leaned over him, his whiskers twitching. Foxtail blinked at the young tom, momentarily confused as to where he was. _Where's my Clan_?

Then he remembered. He was lying in a copse of willows near the RiverClan camp, safely quarantined from the sick warriors. Thundercloud had been sleeping here alone for the past moon to keep from becoming infected, but there had been plenty of room for the others to make nests. Foxtail preferred the moss from his own nest back in the ShadowClan camp to the rushes RiverClan slept on, but he'd been so busy hunting that he was exhausted enough to sleep anywhere.

Foxtail lifted his head and gave a huge yawn. "Can't I join a later one?" he grunted.

"There are no later ones. We all have to hunt all day, remember?" Graypaw's tail-tip twitched, and he turned to lick at a shoulder, where his smoky pelt was unkempt from sleeping. "The others have all gone," he meowed between licks. "We're the last ones up."

Foxtail rolled onto his back and closed his eyes again, his forepaws rested on his chest. "Can't you cover for me this time?" he murmured, allowing the sweet darkness of sleep to wash over him again.

"Unfortunately not." Graypaw's paw jabbed at him again, this time hard enough to push him onto his side. "Don't make me drag you," he warned.

Foxtail moaned again but sat up. He glared at the ThunderClan apprentice and lapped at his chest fur to smooth it. "How's Thundercloud?"

"Tired, like the rest of us." Graypaw licked a paw and drew it over his ear. "None of us are used to hunting for an entire Clan."

Foxtail stopped washing and looked at the gray-and-white tom. Graypaw, focused on smoothing a bothersome clump of fur on his tail, ignored him. Foxtail couldn't help but be impressed by Graypaw's endurance. For an apprentice, he seemed to be holding up very well, much better than Foxtail had anticipated when they had first come to RiverClan's aid, three sunrises ago.

Foxtail gave another huge yawn and turned to lick his shoulder. The two toms sat in silence while they washed, neither uncomfortable at the other's presence in the least. Foxtail was actually mildly surprised at how well the little group had come to work together in such a short time. He had Clanmates back in ShadowClan that he didn't get along with this well.

Foxtail finished washing and stood, shaking out his pelt. "Where shall we hunt today?" he asked, then hesitated, blinking in surprise at himself. He had become so used to Graypaw being around that sometimes he forgot he was still an apprentice. By all rights, Foxtail should have the say on where to hunt.

Graypaw didn't seem to notice their difference in rank either. The past three days he had been treated just like any of the warriors. _He might even be thinking he's a warrior already himself, _Foxtail thought dryly. _I had to fight giant snakes for my warrior name. I may have to remind Graypaw that even though his mentor's not here, he's still just an apprentice._

Graypaw busied himself with picking a bit of reed out from between his claws. "Thundercloud took Snowdrift and Smokeclaw to the river to fish, and the others went to the meadow as far as I know."

Foxtail flexed his claws. "I guess that leaves the marsh to us," he meowed. He peered at the apprentice, wondering what his reaction would be. ThunderClan cats weren't fond of getting their paws wet.

Graypaw plucked out the annoying bit of reed and spat it on the ground. He stood. "Sounds good to me."

Foxtail led the way around the border of camp. Graypaw followed without a sound, his ears pricked for any sign of prey. Graypaw had easily adapted to RiverClan's territory, probably better than any of the others, and he'd caught on to fishing very quickly. Foxtail was impressed with his skill and patience, and wished for a moment that Graypaw was _his_ apprentice, training to become a ShadowClan warrior.

_That's mousebrained,_ Foxtail thought, shaking his head at himself. _Graypaw belongs to ThunderClan._

They reached the marsh. Foxtail stopped and looked over his shoulder to see that Graypaw had vanished. _He must have smelled prey,_ he thought, and shrugged. Graypaw could take care of himself. Foxtail padded into the marsh, stepping carefully. As a ShadowClan warrior, he was accustomed to sensing the drier patches of ground where his paws wouldn't sink into the muck.

Foxtail scented a finch almost immediately and pinpointed it with no trouble. He crouched low, his belly fur brushing the ground, painfully aware of how his golden pelt stood out against the dark colors of the marsh. He stayed perfectly still, not moving a muscle as the finch hopped unsuspectingly over the boggy ground. It was too light to get stuck in the mud, but still a good piece of prey.

Foxtail judged the distance. It was too far to leap from here, and if he moved he might startle it away, as it was coming in his direction. _Keep hopping, finch, _he thought. _Just a little closer…_

Suddenly something like needles clamped onto his tail. Foxtail sprang into the air with a screech of surprise and whipped around. The finch looked up and fled, calling a warning. Foxtail saw a long, slimy body latched onto the end of his tail, adding a tail-length to his tail. He swung a paw at the snake, trying to swipe it off with his claws, the pain pulsing into him. He felt his tail start to go numb, and fear made him flail even harder, knowing that paralysis was slowly setting in from the venom in the snake's bite. He had forgotten one of the very first things a ShadowClan apprentice learned: look out for marsh snakes.

Foxtail's blows were inaccurate and almost all of them missed, and the ones that connected weren't strong enough to do the snake any real damage. His hind legs began to tingle and he felt weakness setting in as paralysis took hold.

Suddenly he heard a fearsome screech and Graypaw hurled himself over the bog with incredible speed considering the mud. The ThunderClan apprentice launched himself at the snake, aiming right behind its head. The snake released its hold on Foxtail and hissed at its attacker, but Graypaw refused to let go. Foxtail sank to the ground, his tail and hind legs twitching.

Graypaw sank his teeth viciously into the snake's head with a furious light in his green-rimmed eyes. The snake hissed again but then fell limp, dead.

Graypaw released the snake and examined it for a moment, his tail bushed out. Then he hurried over to Foxtail. "Foxtail! Are you all right? Can you move?"

Foxtail groaned. "Poison," he panted through gritted teeth. "I can't feel my tail."

Graypaw crouched down beside him, and Foxtail fought to focus on him. He knew shock was setting in. "I have to get you back to the willow grove," Graypaw meowed. "Listen to me! I'll have to carry you."

Foxtail could do nothing but pant in reply, fighting the shock as it took over. He closed his eyes and felt Graypaw's teeth in his scruff. The apprentice began dragging him slowly over the marsh in the direction of the willow grove. Foxtail tried to ignore the cool mud that seeped through his fur and into his skin, chilling him to the bone.

* * *

_Sundance crouched low, her eyes fixed on _the thrush, and sprang, her claws outstretched.

Suddenly there was a flash of gray-and-white and Stormfeather hurled himself out of the grass. He tackled the thrush at full speed and landed rolling with the bird in his claws.

Sundance landed thrushless and turned as Stormfeather dealt the bird a swift killing bite. "That thrush was mine!" she complained.

Stormfeather looked up at her. His eyes began to glitter. "Then why's it in _my_ claws?" he asked.

Sundance crouched, tail-tip twitching. She narrowed her eyes at the WindClan warrior. "You're going to regret that," she growled, and flung herself at him.

Stormfeather gave a yelp as she slammed into him, sending them both rolling. Sundance grabbed him around the shoulders, her claws sheathed, and began battering at his belly with her hind legs. Stormfeather growled playfully and swiped at her ear with one paw as he wrapped his tail around one of her hind legs, rendering it immobile. Now having the advantage, he rolled her over and pinned her down with a paw on her chest and her leg still wrapped in his tail.

"Nice try," he purred.

"It's not over yet," Sundance replied, and kicked out sharply with the leg that was still bound in tail. Stormfeather gave a yelp of surprise and pain as he was pulled backward, and he stumbled off of her, unable to catch his balance. Sundance freed herself from his tail and gave him a powerful headbutt to the shoulder, knocking him onto his side. She planted him firmly on the ground and purred in triumph.

Stormfeather narrowed his eyes up at her. "Impressive," he acknowledged.

The grass swished and Grasshopper padded out with a sparrow and the thrush in his jaws. "I found this back there," he meowed, dropping the prey and tapping the thrush with his paw. He looked from Sundance to Stormfeather and back, his eyes unreadable. "Did I miss something?"

Stormfeather pushed Sundance off of him. She hopped away and let him get to his paws. The WindClan warrior sat up and lapped at his tail, glaring at her. "Just her trying to steal my prey," he growled accusingly.

Sundance turned wide, innocent eyes on Grasshopper. "I resent that statement! I was simply taking back what was mine."

Grasshopper's green eyes narrowed. "Unfortunately for you, if you pick on one WindClan warrior, you pick on all of us," he warned.

Sundance could just catch the glimmer of playfulness behind his eyes and lifted her head smugly. "Bring it on!" she meowed hotly. "I could beat all of you with my eyes closed."

"Your _eyes_ aren't the issue," Stormfeather muttered, waving his tail experimentally. "Your _leg_ is."

Sundance wanted to reply with a great comeback, but nothing was coming to mind. So she shrugged. "We should get back to hunting. We can't forget how much RiverClan needs the food right now."

"We also can't forget how much _we_ need the food," Grasshopper pointed out. "We haven't eaten properly in three days, even though we've caught a lot for RiverClan. We should catch enough for us to eat today, too."

Stormfeather nodded agreeably. "Maybe Thundercloud and the others will do well at fishing," he suggested.

Sundance curled her lip. "Would you eat fish?"

Grasshopper lifted his head. "Oh yes," he meowed. "I've tasted it before. It was good!"

"Foxtail probably wouldn't mind it either," Stormfeather added. "He's used to frogs and marsh prey. Would your Clanmates eat fish?" He looked inquiringly at Sundance, his blue eyes bright, the pain in his tail forgotten.

"Not Smokeclaw," Sundance replied. "I think Graypaw might try it."

"Would you?"

Sundance nodded and shrugged. "I've never eaten fish before. I'll give it a try."

"_If_ there's any extra," Grasshopper reminded them, picking up his sparrow and thrush again. "The RiverClan cats get first pick, and you know they'll want the fish."

Sundance swiped the thrush that she and Stormfeather had just been wrestling over and gave a slight growl in her throat. Stormfeather swiped a paw towards her in an attempt to knock it out of her mouth.

Grasshopper leaped between them before they got into another full-fledged fight. "Cut it out! Normally I would love to join this battle, but we have work to do," he meowed, glaring warningly at them both over the limp feathered bodies in his mouth. "Now where shall we bury our prey for safekeeping?"

Stormfeather sniffed at the ground and scraped experimentally at it with a paw. "The ground is pretty soft here, and now that we've crushed the grass down, it'll be easy to find again," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Sundance tossed the thrush aside, knowing that—for now, anyway—their battle over it had ended. She helped Stormfeather dig, growling occasionally in annoyance when the tough grass stalks stabbed her paws. Stormfeather kept digging without stopping until the hole was finished; then he and Grasshopper dropped their catch in and covered it over again.

"We should each go off into the meadow on our own and meet here again at a certain time, so we don't run into each other and 'steal' prey." Stormfeather glanced at Sundance, his eyes glimmering teasingly. He glanced at the sky. "How about when the sun is a mouse-length above the tops of the trees?"

Grasshopper and Sundance nodded and murmured agreement and the gray-and-white warrior padded off into the grass. Within heartbeats he had disappeared, the grass swaying in the breeze, giving no inclination as to where he had gone. _He's very quiet,_ Sundance thought, impressed by the WindClan warrior's skill in the long grass. _But then, this must be familiar territory to these WindClan cats._

Grasshopper had turned towards her. "Which way are you going?" he asked. His eyes gleamed, but Sundance couldn't read what he was thinking.

She shrugged. "Whichever way you're not going is fine by me."

Grasshopper's eyes flashed with fake hurt. "_Well _then. I didn't know you hated me so much." He sniffled a bit to add to the effect. "Thanks for crushing my dreams."

"Your _dreams_?" Sundance spat back. "If your dream was for me to not hate you, you've got to start thinking bigger." She purred and flicked her tail over his ear, then pointed with it. "I'll go that way."

Grasshopper purred back. "Good hunting," he meowed, and slipped off in the opposite direction.

Chapter 8

"_What happened to Foxtail?" Skyspark asked, staring _at his Clanmate lying at Graypaw's feet. He didn't like how limp Foxtail looked.

"A snake bit his tail," Graypaw explained breathlessly. _He must have carried Foxtail all the way back from wherever they were hunting,_ Skyspark realized. "I-I think he went into shock."

Skyspark padded over to him and sniffed the dappled golden warrior carefully. "Well, you're right about that," he meowed. "His tail doesn't look too good either, but I don't think the poison is life-threatening."

Graypaw heaved a sigh of relief and sat down heavily. Skyspark concentrated on Foxtail's wound. The golden warrior was unconscious; Skyspark knew that the shock had probably gotten to him. "I don't have the herbs for this," he meowed to Graypaw. "I only have herbs for sickness. We'll have to find the right ones."

Graypaw stood immediately. "What do you need?"

"Horsetail—you'll find some by the marsh. And yarrow. Do you know what that looks like?"

Graypaw nodded vigorously. "I've helped Hazelpaw collect it," he meowed, and dashed off in the direction of the marsh.

Skyspark placed his paws gently on Foxtail's chest and rubbed tenderly, hoping to assist his Clanmate's breathing until the apprentice returned. _We really didn't need this right now, _he thought, thinking about the cats lying sick in camp. He had left the camp to find catmint to restock their supplies, and StarClan knew he couldn't afford to waste time.

_But if Foxtail isn't healthy, that'll be one less cat to hunt, _Skyspark reminded himself. _And that means less food for the sick cats._

Foxtail twitched beneath his paws and let out a low moan. Skyspark stopped rubbing and lay a paw comfortingly on his Clanmate's side. Foxtail's eyes fluttered, then blinked open slightly. His gaze fixed blurrily on Skyspark.

"Graypaw's gone to get you some herbs," Skyspark assured him. "He'll be back soon."

"How bad is it?" Foxtail mumbled.

"Not bad. As soon as we get the poison out and you get some rest, you should be fine by dawn."

Foxtail sighed shakily with relief and closed his eyes. Graypaw reappeared with his jaws full of herbs; the apprentice dropped them at Skyspark's paws, and Skyspark quickly pulled out some yarrow. He chewed it carefully, wrinkling his nose as he did—and making sure he didn't swallow any—and dribbled the juice on the wound, spitting the rest onto the grass. He sent Graypaw to fetch a few rushes, chewed the horsetail like he had the yarrow, and applied it, wrapping Foxtail's tail-tip completely in rushes to hold the poultices against the bite.

When he'd finished, Skyspark sat back, satisfied—and glad that he had been able to work without the scent of sickness choking him. "That should do it," he meowed.

Graypaw sniffed at the wrapped tail, then shrugged, deciding he couldn't figure out if it was healing or not. He looked up at Skyspark. "What are you doing out of camp?" he asked. "Did…do we need to bury some cat?"

"Not yet." Skyspark shook his head. "So far we've managed to pull the RiverClan cats through, even the apprentices. I came out to fetch some catmint. I'm glad you're here, because I'll be able to carry more with your help." He paused. "You _would_ like to help, right?"

Graypaw nodded. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

Skyspark dipped his head, knowing that the smoky apprentice must be exhausted from all the hard work, and respecting his ability to keep going despite his weariness. _All of us are tired, _Skyspark remembered, _not just the medicine cats. It must be hard for eight cats to hunt for the whole of a Clan._

"The Twoleg nest across the marsh should have some catmint in its garden," Skyspark meowed, standing. "Let's get going, and hope we can be back before the other medicine cats run out of herbs."

Graypaw followed him through RiverClan territory and to the edge of the marsh. Skyspark picked his way through it, managing to stick to the stable ground. The scent reminded him of ShadowClan, and he felt a pang of homesickness for his own territory. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Graypaw with his eyes fixed determinedly on his paws, concentrating on where he set them. Skyspark really didn't know anything about the ThunderClan cat, but he'd already figured out that Graypaw was a fast learner and very smart. Skyspark wondered if he was close to receiving his warrior name. _Maybe he'll get it when all of this is over, _he thought.

Skyspark crawled up the small rise at the edge of the marsh and stopped at the top to wait for Graypaw. Graypaw pulled himself up after him and sat down hard beside him. Skyspark knew that it wouldn't do him any good to press on if his companion was too tired to make the trip back. He sat down to wait for Graypaw to catch his breath. Opening his mouth, Skyspark breathed in the marshy scent wafting up from the murky wetlands below and closed his eyes, imagining he was back in his own territory. He sighed deeply.

"Homesick?" Graypaw's voice cut into his thoughts.

"The marshland reminds me of ShadowClan territory," Skyspark admitted. He opened his eyes and looked at Graypaw. "Do you miss ThunderClan?"

"Every day." Graypaw turned his head back the way they'd come and peered into the willows, as if he were trying to see his home. "I miss the trees and the feel of pine needles under my paws, and the smell of juniper. And my moss nest," he added dryly. "Reeds are a bit too hard for my taste. I keep sticking myself in the middle of the night."

Skyspark purred. "I know what you mean. I'd rather be back in my own nest." He hadn't known that ThunderClan slept on moss like ShadowClan did, but he supposed they wouldn't sleep on leaves. _Maybe ThunderClan and ShadowClan have more in common than we thought. Except ShadowClan cats have webbed feet from living in the marsh. _He looked at his paw and flexed it so he could see the thin layer of skin between his toes. _RiverClan cats have webbed feet too. Maybe all the Clans are connected by these little similarities that no cat bothers to notice._

Graypaw stood up, interrupting Skyspark's thoughts once again. "We'd better keep going," he meowed. "The sooner we get the catmint back to the RiverClan cats, the sooner they're healed and the sooner we can go home."

Skyspark sprang to his paws and allowed Graypaw to take the lead; after all, Graypaw had been hunting in RiverClan territory a lot recently and probably knew it a lot better than Skyspark did, who had been in camp since they'd arrived.

It didn't take long for them to come upon the Twoleg nest. The nest was encircled by hedge, though Skyspark could see a low white fence through the hedges. Graypaw slipped ahead to scout, being the warrior of the two of them, and waved his tail at Skyspark in the signal that all was clear. Skyspark noted how seriously Graypaw was taking this and just managed to choke back his purr of amusement. He knew that to an apprentice, a mission like this one was no joke.

Skyspark slipped through the hedge, annoying pricking him each time he was poked by one of the spiky branches, and let Graypaw check out the other side. The apprentice nodded at him and slid out, then stood watch while Skyspark scented the air for the tantalizing scent of catmint. He spotted a patch near the fence across the yard and flicked his tail against Graypaw's flank to get his attention.

"There's some over there," he meowed, pointing with his muzzle toward the clump of catmint. "Come along with me and keep watch."

Graypaw nodded and followed him across the yard, casting glances around as they went. Skyspark allowed all the watching to fall on Graypaw's shoulders, concentrating only on the catmint. He pushed his nose into the patch as soon as he reached it, drawing in its scent; he allowed himself a moment of haziness as the smell came over him and blocked all his senses, then shook himself and nipped a few of the shoots off.

He gathered a mouthful of the catmint, then put it aside into a pile. "Here's what you'll carry," he meowed to Graypaw, who was still gazing around cautiously. The apprentice nodded, and Skyspark ducked back into the plant again.

He plucked out another mouthful, picked it up in his jaws, and flicked his tail to get Graypaw's attention. Graypaw gathered up his burden and followed Skyspark toward the hedge again.

About halfway across, Skyspark heard a frantic yapping. He froze dead in his tracks and swung around, fearing the worst, and as if he'd called it with his mind, a small dog raced around the corner of the Twoleg nest, howling its head off.

"Dog!" Skyspark screeched, nearly choking on his catmint and dropping over half of it. Graypaw sprang for safety and Skyspark ducked his head, quickly gathering up the herbs he'd dropped. The dog, still yipping, ran towards him, getting nearer with every step.

Skyspark clutched the catmint in his mouth and turned tail, leaving a few of the precious shoots on the ground. He hared towards the hedge where Graypaw was waiting him, jaws clamped around the herbs in his mouth and eyes wide with fear. Skyspark could feel the dog's breath hot on his tail; small as the dog was, it was still twice his size and it would hurt to get caught in its jaws, and RiverClan needed all the medicine cats it could get—_healthy _medicine cats.

Just when he thought the dog was going to snap him up, Graypaw streaked by him, claws flashing. His mouth still full of catmint, the apprentice slashed at the dog's muzzle with thorn-sharp claws, making it recoil, yapping in pain as the blood spurted out of its nose. Graypaw turned tail and hared after Skyspark, who was wriggling under the hedge.

Skyspark didn't stop until he'd reached the other side and had made it to the top of the slope leading down to the marsh. Only then did he allow himself to stop and look behind him. Graypaw was right with him, stumbling on over-wearied paws. The apprentice stopped beside him and put the catmint he was holding on the ground. Skyspark placed his bundle beside Graypaw's.

"Is it gone?" he gasped, trying to scent the air.

Graypaw sniffed with his mouth open, then shook his head. "I don't know. I can't smell anything but catmint."

Skyspark pricked his ears, straining to listen, but he didn't hear pawsteps trailing them. "I think it's gone," he reported. He gave Graypaw a look of respect. "You were brave back there. And you didn't drop a single shoot."

Graypaw shrugged, looking too tired to be humble. "Some cat had to do it. Now let's get back to camp before I collapse."

* * *

_All of the cats, not only his_ Clanmates, were excited to hear about Graypaw's tangle with the dog. And now, three-quarters of a moon later, Smokeclaw was still proud of the young apprentice for displaying such bravery in defense of a cat who wasn't even his Clanmate. Graypaw had made it obvious that ThunderClan cats were strong, brave, and willing to risk their lives for the safety of others.

Smokeclaw missed ThunderClan dearly, more with every passing day, but he had to admit he was beginning to like life under the willows. He fell asleep the minute he lay down in his nest of rushes now, instead of tossing and turning like he did when they first came to RiverClan territory. He was always tired, but then, every other cat was too—hunting all day for a Clan full of cats was hard work. It was getting easier, though, as, little by little, RiverClan cats began regaining strength and joining them outside the camp as hunters.

Smokeclaw avoided the RiverClan warriors as much as he could, not feeling quite comfortable around them. But they were always courteous and grateful to the other Clan cats for coming to help them, and showed special respect, Smokeclaw noticed, to Sundance, clearly knowing that it was her idea and her patient guidance that had brought the seven warriors and three medicine cats to their aid.

Smokeclaw had also noticed that the seven warriors—Thundercloud included—had begun to look to Sundance for leadership. Even Foxtail yielded to her quiet authority. His tail had healed over completely from the snakebite he'd received in the marsh, and he had been hunting alongside the rest of them two days after he'd gotten the wound. Smokeclaw respected his strength, knowing that his tail must have been killing him.

Smokeclaw padded into the copse of willows, a silver fish in his jaws. Grasshopper and Thundercloud followed him, each carrying shiny fishes of their own. Foxtail and Graypaw were already there, each nibbling on a small bit of prey; by the scent of the pile nearby, they had just returned from hunting. Smokeclaw and his companions added their prey to the pile, then withdrew to wash; Smokeclaw wasn't too surprised when Grasshopper sat beside him and began to share tongues with him. Smokeclaw had come to find that Grasshopper wasn't quite as bad as he'd originally thought; though sometimes his cheerfulness got annoying, he respected the WindClan warrior's ability to stay joyful and find energy even though he was just as tired as the rest of them were.

Smokeclaw pricked his ears when he heard the reed entrance to the RiverClan camp rustle. A stony gray tom padded out with a few cats behind him. Smokeclaw recognized him as Ripplestar, the RiverClan leader.

Thundercloud gave a cry of delight when he saw a small brown she-cat with flecked fur and bounded forward to greet her enthusiastically. Smokeclaw and Grasshopper followed along behind, and when Thundercloud turned to them, his eyes were bright.

"Smokeclaw, Grasshopper," the RiverClan warrior purred, "this is my mate, Daybreak."

The small queen dipped her head to the two warriors, her blue eyes tired but clear with health. Smokeclaw and Grasshopper returned her gesture respectfully.

"Pleased to meet you," Grasshopper meowed. "Thundercloud has told us so much about you." His eyes softened and he crouched to peer under Daybreak's pale underbelly. Ducking his head, Smokeclaw glimpsed two small shapes under the queen. "Hello there," Grasshopper purred. "You must be Thundercloud's kits. We've heard about you as well."

Daybreak stepped back and nudged her kits forward with a paw. "Don't be shy," she purred. "These cats helped feed us while we were sick. They're friends of ours." She glanced at her mate questioningly; Thundercloud nodded reassuringly.

A gray-and-white tabby kit crept forward; by the scent, Smokeclaw knew it was female. "I'm Whitekit," the little she-kit squeaked. "This is my sister Rosekit." She gestured at the white kit beside her. Rosekit's pelt was patched with tortoiseshell.

Smokeclaw purred softly. Grasshopper looked at Thundercloud and Daybreak. "You must be so proud," he purred. "They must be strong to have made it through the sickness at their age."

Thundercloud's purr rumbled in his throat. "Thank you, Grasshopper."

Before he could say any more, Ripplestar stepped forward. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with the cat called Sundance," he meowed.

Smokeclaw faced him. "She's still out hunting," he meowed. "I'm Smokeclaw, her Clanmate. Can I help you?"

Ripplestar opened his mouth to reply, but before he could Sundance herself padded into the clearing with Stormfeather and Snowdrift beside her. The three cats' eyes were bright and glittering as if they'd just been sharing a joke. The light left Sundance's eyes when she saw the little group of cats beside the camp entrance; she dropped her prey on the pile and bounded to Smokeclaw's side.

Ripplestar's whiskers twitched as the prey-scent drifted over to him, but he turned away from it and faced Sundance. "Are you Sundance?" he asked.

She dipped her head respectfully. "I am. And you must be Ripplestar, RiverClan's leader." She flashed a look over the cats around him, taking everything in with one glance. "I'm pleased to see that your cats are looking healthier."

Ripplestar nodded. "Thank you. Most of our warriors are healthy now. I am grateful to you and your companions for helping us this past moon, but I believe we can take care of ourselves now."

Sundance dipped her head in understanding. "I have met some of your warriors, and I quite agree with you," she replied. "It was our pleasure to lend our help while you were in need of it."

Smokeclaw was surprised and pleased at how easily Sundance was talking to the leader of RiverClan. _She's got some leadership skills as well, _he thought.

Ripplestar stepped aside. "Your medicine cats are here," he meowed. "There are few enough sick cats left that Milkweed can take care of them himself. I cannot thank you enough for everything you've done for us though," he added. "RiverClan may have died completely if it weren't for your warriors."

Sundance dipped her head once again in the deepest gratitude. "We were honored to assist your Clan, and we are happy to see they are healthy again." She blinked at each of the medicine cats as they joined their ranks; Skyspark padded straight over to where Foxtail and Graypaw were sitting, while Windfall and Frostbite stood beside Smokeclaw and Grasshopper.

"We will leave your territory immediately," Sundance went on. "Now that our assistance is no longer needed, we are trespassing on RiverClan's land and will respect your borders."

Ripplestar nodded to her. "I thank you once again," he meowed. "Safe journey back to your territories." He turned and swept his tail to gather the other RiverClan cats, then disappeared back into camp.

Smokeclaw blinked, surprised that he hadn't issued an escort. _He must be really grateful to trust us to leave his territory on our own, _he thought. _If I were leader, I would escort warriors off our territory, no matter how much they'd helped us in the past three-quarters of a moon._

Sundance turned to the other cats, who were all watching her expectantly. Thundercloud, dwindling outside the camp entrance, padded to her. "Thank you, Sundance," he meowed gravely. "Your kindness has saved my Clan."

"It wasn't just me," she replied, touching noses with him in farewell. "All of us did our part."

Smokeclaw watched as Thundercloud made his way around the cats he'd spent the past three-quarters of a moon hunting with. When the RiverClan warrior came to him, Smokeclaw blinked back the sadness in his eyes, but saw it reflected in Thundercloud's. _All of us formed bonds we never thought we'd have with warriors of other Clans, _Smokeclaw realized as he touched his nose to Thundercloud's. _This has brought us together in a very unexpected way._

Thundercloud padded to his camp, his tail down. Sundance watched him go, then turned to face the remaining cats. "We'd better go before Ripplestar comes out to see what's taking so long," she meowed, her voice light. Though she tried to mask it, Smokeclaw could see the sadness in her eyes as well. He fell in with Foxtail as they closed ranks, following Sundance and Stormfeather toward Fourtrees, leaving RiverClan's territory just the way they had come.

Chapter 9

_Sundance paused under the Great Rock _and looked around at her companions. The seven warriors and Skyspark strung out and formed a circle while Windfall and Frostbite stood back in silence. Sundance looked around at each of them, her heart swelling with affection for them. Smokeclaw was her oldest friend, and Graypaw was her beloved Clanmate, but she had formed such a tight bond with the others as well. Stormfeather and Snowdrift were like littermates to her, and she knew she could trust them with anything. Grasshopper was a true friend, full of energy and humor. Foxtail was strong and steady, a cat she always knew she could rely on, while Skyspark, though not a warrior, had become a fast friend as well and a cat she could relate to, with his quiet ambition. Sundance could see in each cat's eyes the bond of friendship that she felt.

They sat in that circle for a moment, gazing around at the friends they had made. Then, as if at an unspoken command, they stood and broke off, each going toward their own territories. As she fell in with Windfall, Smokeclaw, and Graypaw, Sundance glanced over her shoulder for one last look at her new friends. Foxtail and Skyspark picked their way up the slope toward ShadowClan territory, ears pricked toward their homeland. Grasshopper bounded toward the moors with Snowdrift on his heels; as Sundance watched, Stormfeather stopped at the bottom of the slope and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes met hers for a long moment, then he turned and hared up the slope after his Clanmates.

Sundance pushed into the bushes surrounding her own territory. She sighed as she was enveloped with the familiar scents of trees, moss, and woodland prey—and ThunderClan. Windfall and Smokeclaw set a brisk pace toward camp, with Graypaw and Sundance following. The four cats were silent as they crossed the stream, bounded through the forest, and made their way down the side of the ravine.

Cloudpaw was standing guard. He sprang to his paws when Windfall padded through the gorse tunnel, then gave a yowl that echoed off the walls of the ravine. "Windfall's back!"

Graypaw touched his nose to his brother's, purring, while Sundance greeted Cloudpaw with a mew. Cats began streaming from their dens, chattering in excitement at their Clanmates' return. Hazelpaw bounded right up to her mentor and began sharing what had been going on the past three-quarters of a moon while they were gone. Sundance looked around at the cats as they gathered around her, realizing dully that even though these were her Clanmates, she felt a stronger connection to the warriors she had left at Fourtrees.

Willowstar and Mousefoot pushed their way through the crowd. Willowstar nodded to the warriors and gave a purr. "Welcome home," she meowed. "You must tell us of your adventures."

Smokeclaw, Graypaw, and Windfall looked expectantly at Sundance, but she wasn't in the mood to share anything in front of the whole Clan. She nodded at Smokeclaw; the black warrior stepped forward and began to tell the story of their success.

Willowstar stopped him before he got very far. "No cat can hear you if you talk like this," she chided. "Why don't you speak from Highrock? That way even the kits in the nursery will be able to listen."

Smokeclaw's eyes shone as he padded toward the Highrock and sprang up with one smooth leap. Sundance couldn't help but notice how pleased and regal he looked up there, looking out over his Clan. She was watching him so closely that she missed his whole story. When she zoned back in, the cats were whispering and a few were casting admiring glances at Graypaw. _They must be talking about how he faced that dog, _she thought.

Willowstar padded forward and leaped onto the Highrock beside Smokeclaw. "Thank you for sharing your story, Smokeclaw," she meowed.

Smokeclaw dipped his head to her and leaped—somewhat hesitantly, Sundance noticed—off the Highrock. "I believe that Graypaw has shown a good deal of bravery and experience throughout this mission," Willowstar went on. "It is my belief that he should receive his warrior name. Firelight, what do you think?"

Firelight looked up at her sister with a thoughtful haze in her amber eyes. She was Graypaw's mentor and the Clan's senior warrior. After a long moment, she nodded slowly. "Graypaw is a fast learner and very patient. Though there is more he could learn, he will make a fine warrior."

Willowstar inclined her head. "Very well then. Graypaw, come forward."

The smoky gray-and-white apprentice padded forward steadily, eyes wide. Sundance purred softly; Graypaw had certainly shown himself worthy of receiving his warrior name. Graypaw stood at the foot of the Highrock and waited patiently for Willowstar to go on with the ceremony.

"I, Willowstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young apprentice," she announced. "He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." Willowstar lowered her gaze from the sky and fixed it on Graypaw's face. "Graypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Graypaw replied, his voice strong and sure.

Willowstar sprang off the Highrock and padded over to him. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name: Graypaw, from this moment you will be known as Grayscale in honor of the Clan that you helped to save. StarClan honors your bravery and your wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

As Willowstar touched her nose to the top of Grayscale's bowed head, Littlerock gave a triumphant yowl. "Grayscale! Grayscale!" The cloudy gray warrior's eyes were bright with pride as he cheered for his son, his first kit to earn his warrior's name. Sandblast, Grayscale's mother, added her voice to her mate's, and the other cats quickly joined in.

Sundance called out her friend's new name only once before pressing forward to greet him. "Congratulations, Grayscale!" she purred when she reached him.

Grayscale turned to face her. "Thank you, Sundance!" he meowed. He touched his nose to hers, purring. "I didn't know it would feel this good!"

Cloudpaw bounded up to his brother. "Way to go, Grayscale! Now we can go out and hunt without any warriors with us," he purred.

Grayscale cuffed Cloudpaw's ear playfully with his paw. "You should have gotten your name too," he sighed.

Cloudpaw nudged him with his nose. "I'll get my name soon enough," he purred. "At least I don't have to sit vigil tonight."

"That's right, Grayscale." Firelight padded up to them, her amber eyes shining when she looked at her former apprentice. "I'm proud of you. You were a great apprentice. But tonight you sit in silent vigil for your Clan. It'll be difficult since you must be tired from your journey from RiverClan."

Grayscale dipped his head gratefully to her. "I'll be fine," he promised. "I don't think I could sleep at all now! Thank you for everything you've taught me, Firelight." He touched noses with the senior warrior.

"I'll sit up with you for awhile, if you like," Sundance offered.

Grayscale shook his head. "Thanks, Sundance, but this is _my _vigil. I'll watch the Clan on my own."

Smokeclaw padded up to them. "Congratulations, Grayscale," he purred. "Good luck on your vigil! You're lucky it's warm out tonight. It'll probably be one of the last warm nights left before leaf-bare sets in."

Grasycale purred and dipped his head to Smokeclaw. "I'll see you in the morning."

"You better know it," Smokeclaw teased. "I'm going patrolling in the morning and _you'd_ better be with me!"

Grayscale's eyes gleamed. "I'll be there."

* * *

_"Give somebody a lift when you can" ~ _Glenn Dromgoole


End file.
